I Saw You Cry
by S. C. Hardy
Summary: On Halloween Night of Ginny's fourth year, she and Harry share some very intimate and revealing details about their lives...
1. Cry

_Edited 02-03-03: Thanks to amulder and everpresent (or are you one in the same? Your reviews were frighteningly similar) for pointing out the error with Ginny's eyes, this has been fixed!_

Disclaimer: I do not own Ms. JK Rowling's characters…duh. This is my first attempt at Harry/Ginny…I do plan to continue it, if I get a good response. So, enjoy!

_"In places no one would find_

_All your feelings so deep inside_

_It was then that I realized_

That forever was in your eyes 

_The moment I saw you cry…"_

_-Mandy Moore "Cry"_

**~*Cry*~**

**G**inny Weasley was bored, and she pushed her long red hair over her shoulders, annoyed that it always fell in front of her eyes. It was Halloween night, and all the students were celebrating in the Great Hall, eating treats and telling scary stories unsuccessfully (Fred and George were quite dramatic with it, though).

Only one student was not in attendance. Ginny had quickly noticed that a certain Gryffindor was not engaging in the celebrations and was nowhere to be seen. She wondered why his best friends had joined the party, but then again, she noticed that his best friends were also quite occupied with their own 'private' way of flirting. 

It was rather boring without him being there. From the beginning of the year, he had been talking to her a great deal more, even if Ginny suspected that it _was_ because his friends had taken to having 'private' conversations. She didn't want to just be a replacement, but after a few games of chess and long walks through Hogsmeade laughing at all the joke's in Zonko's, it was obvious that the two were very compatible…as friends, of course. 

She smirked. Was she growing feelings for him _again_? Her feelings towards him had dissolved from the enormous crush Ginny Weasley had on Harry Potter in her first year, but now…what was it? She actually felt comfortable around him, but at the same time she felt as if her stomach was ready to explode from the Snitches that were fluttering around. Is that normal? 

Ginny was pleased with her feelings though, even if she dreaded being teased by her brothers. She had not stuttered once around Harry, and her cheeks remained perfectly pale (well, not _perfectly_ because Ginny _hated _her pale skin) every time he walked into the room.

So, Ginny quietly left the Great Hall, unnoticed by the other fourth year Gryffindor girls to find her new good friend. She enjoyed their company up to a point, but she'd rather have an intelligent conversation with Hermione Granger than talk about whom was snogging whom. Well, _most_ of the time, anyway. 

The Fat Lady rolled her eyes as Ginny approached, and the girl blushed slightly, but she wasn't sure why. The portrait often sent her small smiles as she asked for the passwords ("Filibusters"), but today, she eyed Ginny with suspicion. 

But, the red head girl paid no more mind to the portrait, and she entered the Gryffindor Common Room. It was eerily empty, the complete antithesis of its normally boisterous feeling. Even though it was brightly lit, the storm that was thundering outside clouded the windows with a fog as thick as her brother Ron's skull (she snickered at the thought). 

She noticed Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, lying on a chair near one of the windows, and Ginny approached him, loving the way he curled up on her lap. The red head was one of the few that the cat liked being around, and Ginny took this as an opportunity to play with him as much as possible. 

Ginny reached the chair and scooped the ginger cat up in her arms, rocking and cooing him to sleep (which he already was, but that wasn't the point). She sat in the chair, wiping off any cat hair that was left, and remained seated for a good ten minutes without being disturbed. 

But one is never alone for long in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny's ears pricked up as she heard footsteps coming down from the dormitory, and since her back was to the staircase, she didn't have a chance to see who it was without looking absolutely obvious. And she _didn't _want to look obvious. 

The footsteps stopped, but Ginny wasn't sure where. Maybe at the last step, she didn't hear the clopping on the wooden floor. She continued to stroke Crookshanks, and she heard the rustle of clothes, and the person sniffled softly. Ginny held a breath and turned around, knowing that the person was waiting for her to make the first move.

She smiled happily at Harry Potter, who was indeed stationed on the last step of the staircase. He must've just come out of the shower because his hair was flattened against his head. Her grin widened even more because he was wearing jeans and a patented Weasley jumper, and unknown to him it had been sewn by none other than Ginny herself (she had _insisted _the year before to sew Harry's).

He smiled back, softly, but Ginny could tell that something was definitely wrong, that his smile did not reach his eyes. She tilted her head and stared at him as he walked slowly to the couch in front of the fireplace. What should she do? 

"Er…" She started, standing up and walking over to the arm of the couch with Crookshanks still in her arms. 

"You're really good with him." Harry pointed out, not bothering to look up from the fire. Ginny smiled and sat on the arm of the couch.

"Yeah…well, we both have the same color hair, so…" She smiled brightly as Harry laughed.

"Ron's hair's the same color, but that doesn't seem to help his cause." His voice cracked slightly as he spoke and he actually looked up at her; Ginny could've sworn that his eyes were shining. 

"Ron's just a big idiot and Crookshanks knows it." They both shared what seemed to be a forced laugh, and Ginny slid onto the couch, causing Harry to bounce and waking up Crookshanks. The cat glared at Ginny, then hopped off, slinking up the stairs to the dorms. 

"Why aren't you at the party?" She asked quickly, trying not to avoid the obvious. Harry sniffled loudly and pushed the palm of his hand against his right ear. Ginny watched as he then combed his hair with that same hand, revealing his lightening bolt scar. Ginny suddenly got a terrible feeling in her gut, "Oh, Harry! Is your scar hurting?" 

He turned to her quickly and shook his head, putting his hands up in defense.

"Oh, no, no! It's…it's nothing about that…exactly." She watched as Harry blushed and he darted his eyes towards the ground. Ginny suddenly felt very warm herself, and she began to twirl a strand of her hair around her finger unconsciously. 

"Then…what's wrong? Unless you don't want to talk about it…" She really hoped that he did, but she didn't want to be a nudge. Maybe she shouldn't have come up here after all... 

Harry shook his head and released a breath rather loudly. 

"I do…but then I don't, is that weird?" He looked back at her, questioning eyebrows raised. Ginny shrugged slightly, and then winced because the hair that was twirled around her finger was too tight.

"If it hurts to keep it inside…then you _should _talk about it, but maybe I'm not the right person to talk about it with…" She wanted to smack her forehead, why was she always putting herself down?

"I don't think there's anyone better…" Harry said with a muffled voice; he had covered his face in his hands. She just watched as he sat with his elbows on his legs, his shoulders heaving as he breathed deeply. 

Ginny wasn't sure if she would be able to handle a serious discussion with him, especially with a past like Harry's. Who _knows_ what he could be worried about? Voldemort? She would only say that name in her head, _please _don't let it be about that. Sirius Black? He hasn't been caught yet; maybe he's worried about getting attacked by him. Cedric? Ginny knew how horrible Harry felt about the poor Hufflepuff's death. 

Though…it might be about something silly, like how he felt ignored about Hermione and Ron's 'budding' relationship. Or…maybe he was having girl troubles. Ginny really hoped it was something like that, even though she'd probably have to go cry after she finished consoling him.

"Harry?" She finally asked after sitting in silence for a few minutes. Ginny scooted over closer to him, leaning forward so she could try to see his face. The brightness of the room was able to show her that fresh droplets of tears had seeped from his hands and were now making little trails down his forearms. Ginny gasped in surprise, never seeing Harry this upset. 

He pulled his glasses off and threw them on the cushion beside him. With clenched fists, Harry rubbed his emerald eyes furiously. 

"They died, they died today." His voice was higher than she had ever heard it, and his eyes darted away from hers, his cheeks scarlet from the embarrassment he felt he was enduring. Ginny felt horrible about how he was acting and the fact that she had no idea what he was talking about,

"Who? Harry…who died?" She asked softly, her mind searching for anything in the Daily Prophet that might help her. 

Harry threw his hands down to his side and rolled his eyes to look up at the ceiling, as if trying to keep his tears from falling. 

"My…my parents." He choked out and he had to let his tears fall, so he covered his face again. "I found a letter." He mumbled. "This summer, in the Dursley's attic, it told them everything about my parents' deaths, and they never told me about it! They died Halloween night, 1981." 

Ginny's mouth hung slack as she listened to Harry's cry. All she wanted to do was let him cry into her shoulder, but she didn't know how he would react to someone else's touch. 

"It's okay, Harry..." was all she could think of saying. But Harry shook his head from behind his hands, letting them fall into his lap. He stared at her, almost pleadingly, with green eyes surrounded by a very sad red. 

"No, it's not, I've celebrated Halloween my entire life without knowing what a horrible day it was, and I feel like I've _betrayed_ them! I've never even been to their graves; they must think I've _forgotten_ about them! For fourteen years their tombstones have been abandoned in some cemetery, because I apparently have no living relatives to leave them flowers or _anything_. They must be so upset at me, I wouldn't want me as a son if I were them, it's so unfair to them." 

He swatted at his eyes heatedly, slightly wetting Ginny's bare arms with his tears. Harry sighed angrily as he rolled his shoulders to get some kinks out of them.

"And I shouldn't be crying," He choked a laugh, trying to regain control. "Crying is for babies who don't know how to deal with the pain. Ron and I are always telling Hermione not to cry, and here I am doing exactly what I say not to do, God, I'm _such _a hypocrite!" He spat, his breathing ragged. Ginny finally decided to try and calm him down.

"Crying _is not_ for babies, Harry, don't you _ever _think you're weak." She cautiously put a hand on his shoulder, and was surprised that he didn't shove her off. "Crying is something to cleanse your mind, to get rid of the bad feelings." 

Ginny felt extremely stupid for the comment, reminding her of her mother. She remembered her mother saying that to Ron one summer, after he had broken his wrist while in a Quidditch match with their brothers. He had absolutely refused to let the inevitable tears fall, but it was just hurting him more. Her mother talked in a soft voice and made Ron feel as if it was okay, as if everything would be all right. Maybe Ginny could use the same approach, though in an entirely different situation. 

"Don't try to be a macho dolt like my brother, it's okay to cry…it helps." She said soothingly, and her hand fell to his back to rub it in an assuring manner. Harry's shoulders sunk at her gesture, and he stared into the fire with empty eyes. Silent tears trickled down his cheeks and his lips twitched, ready to cry out. 

"I miss them." He barely whispered, turning his head slightly towards her. He nodded knowingly, and Ginny copied his movements. "I have absolutely no memories of them, but God, I would do _anything_ to see them...even if it means…hmm…" Harry turned away from her, and Ginny sucked in a quick breath.

"Don't you _dare _do anything stupid!" She exclaimed grabbing his shoulder and making him turn towards her. Harry stared at her in bewilderment, but his cheeks flushed as he realized the she knew what he was talking about.

"There is absolutely _no _reason to talk like that!" Ginny shouted, her hair flailing around her head. "You are a wonderful person with a wonderful life, even if it _is_ a little bit rough right now. If you _ever _think about ending your life, if you _ever _do _anything_ to harm yourself, I swear, Harry _James_ Potter, that you will _not _have to kill yourself because _I_ will do it for you! I care too much about you to see you end up like that!" 

Ginny tried to catch her breath after her rant, and immediately began to blush after she realized what she said. Harry stared at her, right into her dark brown eyes, as if she was some unique creature on display. The youngest Weasley did not know what to do; she had never been stared at in this way before. Was he angry? Was he grateful? Was he even aware of what was happening?

"I can take a lot of pain." Harry muttered, staring back at the fire. Ginny wanted to hit him _hard _across the face. Did he not hear _anything_ she just said? But maybe he didn't need to be told anything; maybe he just needed her to listen…

"Have you done anything, Harry?" Ginny asked softly, letting her hand drift down his arm, landing on his wrist. She was afraid of what might be under his sleeves. He leaned back into the couch and shook his head, though he kept his eyes away from locking onto hers. His hand left from under hers as he crossed his arms. 

"No…but…I _have_ thought about it, I'll admit. I've chickened out every time I get close." He chuckled softly; it was almost frightening to the red head's ears. Harry turned to her, a sad smile on his face. "Can you imagine? I can read the Daily Prophet's headlines now: 'The-Boy-Who-Lived afraid of a few random cuts on his wrist; what happened to the Harry Potter we once knew and loved?' Can't you just see it?" 

Ginny forced a weak smile and nodded. Harry frowned at her response, and changed his position on the couch, so now he had one leg underneath him, his body turned towards her. 

"I've scared you, haven't I?" He seemed extremely worried as he leaned forward, trying to look her in the eyes. Ginny continued to avoid his gaze as she curled her tongue in her mouth; something she often did when she was under intense pressure. 

"Please…don't be scared." Harry sighed, reaching out and taking her one hand that was pushed against the couch with both of his. She couldn't believe that she could feel so warm and embarrassed while tears of despair started to leak out of her eyes. Harry bit his tongue and his leg shook; he had absolutely no idea what to do with a crying girl, Ron usually took care of Hermione. 

"Of course I'm scared." Ginny cried softly, trying desperately to hold her tears in. She finally turned to him, her eyes wide with fear. "You really have no idea how much I care about you, Harry. You're the one thing, besides my family, that has always been so constant. You're _Harry Potter_, Ron's best friend, and I could always expect you to come and stay at The Burrow, to keep my brothers out of my hair_._ Harry, the Quidditch player who would make sure I got to hold the Snitch before you had to give it back to Madame Hooch. You're _Harry_, the boy who saved me from…from…_Voldemort. _I wouldn't _be here _if it wasn't for you. You're just _Harry_ and I'll be damned if I have to live without--"

Her cry was cut short by Harry's lips upon hers. Ginny's eyes widened in shock, but they fluttered closed from the feeling he was sending into her. It wasn't her first kiss, she thought for a split second back to the other pair of lips that had rested upon hers. 

This kiss was nothing like the Truth or Dare kiss she and Colin had shared. The young photographer and herself had just pressed their lips against each other's, neither daring to move or open their tightly shut eyes. It had been at the beginning of this year, on the Hogwarts Express, and Ginny had wished that she had never taken part so that _this _could be her first kiss.

Harry had literally just grabbed her lips with his, but in that quick motion, they had connected into what Ginny thought was perfection. His upper lip was settled between her two lips as he pulled at hers slightly, bringing her closer. She had absolutely no idea how experienced Harry was at kissing, but she figured that he didn't have much more than her, because he wasn't trying to take the kiss any further, but the red head did not mind.

It wasn't even the fact that he kissed her that shocked her. It was the shock that raced through all her veins and capillaries, up and down her legs, and back towards her lips, just to start again. He still held her hand tightly, and somehow (she couldn't figure out _how _she did two things at once) her other hand found his, and they just sat, their lips and hands connected. 

He quickly pulled apart (it seemed like eternity to Ginny, but was actually just about five seconds) staring at her in amazement, his face flushed and his mouth forming a silly/scared grin. Harry opened his mouth to say something, but he just let it hang, as if he couldn't believe what he just did. 

"I…" He began, darting his eyes away and blushing even deeper than he had. Ginny was afraid that he was going to stop breathing, so she squeezed his hands to make him look back at her. 

"It's alright." She said quickly, smiling. Harry still looked very confused with his actions, but the scared part of his smile slid away and he just stared at her, as if content. His head was tilted slightly, and the way his green eyes shone (they still shined with tears, but Ginny believed that they weren't of sadness) showed her that the kiss had not been a mistake on his part. 

Harry smiled sheepishly at her, and he let go of her hands, just to reach for his glasses that still lied on the cushion behind him. As he placed them on, Ginny couldn't help smile at his hair, which was actually flat against his head, only because of the wetness of it. 

He slid on his glasses and smiled at her as if he was expecting some sort of critique. Ginny absolutely loved how he could be the most famous wizard of his time, and still be embarrassed by his wire rim glasses. She felt herself blush at her thoughts. _Love_? Er…they weren't quite there. Yet. Ginny had to suppress a laugh, but wasn't successful. Harry ran a hand through his hair, splashing her slightly. 

"Laughing at my sopping mop?" He winked at her and Ginny continued to laugh, although she shook her head. Harry narrowed his eyes playfully at her, and without a warning, shook his head quickly back and forth, splattering water all over her face. 

Ginny squealed in shock and happiness because she had gotten Harry out of his solemn mood. She covered her face to protect herself from the water, but Harry was not going to let her get away. He grabbed her wrists gently and pulled them towards his hair, making her hands run through his soaking locks. It wasn't until Ginny's hands had made their way all the way to the base of his neck that the two noticed they were extremely close again.

She was sitting on her knees on the couch, and Harry still had one leg under him. Ginny wondered how they could have gotten so close without realizing it, but it wasn't as if she minded. She liked feeling Harry's warm breath on her face, his breath smelled like toothpaste, which made her crack a bubbly smile.

Harry smiled affectionately at her, with a gleam in his emerald green eyes that brought tears of joy to her drops of chocolate. Here she was, little Ginny Weasley, with her arms around the boy she has had a crush on for her entire time at Hogwarts. He was staring at her with the utmost look of bliss on his face, and she knew it was because of what _she _said to him. _She_ made him happy, and _she _was the one he was going to talk to when he had problems.

While she was busy playing the hair on his neck, Harry's arms traveled away from her wrists, and down to her waist, where his fingertips touched her sides, barely. Ginny smiled brightly at him, and brought her nose close to his, barely grazing it. 

"Er…" He said quietly, his eyes darting from her eyes to their connected noses. She raised her eyebrows, showing that she heard him and was allowing him to continue. "Can I…would you let me kiss you, again?"

Ginny didn't even answer him, she took it upon herself to press her lips on his, and Harry answered with what sounded like a sigh of surprise and enjoyment all at once. This time, their lips danced upon each other's, their mouths opening slightly but neither daring to enter those crevices. Harry's hands finally laid flat on her sides, and brought themselves around her back, hugging her around the waist. She didn't want to break the kiss, she didn't ever want to have her lips separated from Harry's, but, oxygen is necessary, and they parted, smiling giddily at each other. 

His arms slunk away from her waist, and Ginny reluctantly brought her arms down from his neck. They just sat, staring at each other, each with a bit of confusion in their eyes. Ginny didn't want to have to wait to ask questions, she knew that the Halloween celebrations would be over soon, and the common room would then be filled with giddy Gryffindors. 

"Er…" They had just shared a very intimate moment together, and now Ginny couldn't think of anything to say. Harry looked just as clueless, and the red head didn't feel as bad for her lack of speech. "They are…proud of you, Harry. I'm sure of it." 

His emerald eyes widened behind his glasses, and Harry seemed genuinely intrigued by her comment. He scooted closer to her, leaning forward very interested.

"How do you know? What makes you say that?" 

Ginny shrugged slightly, embarrassed for all the thoughts that had popped into her head. Hell, _she _was proud of him, there was no way that his parents weren't. 

"Because…you've done everything that they'd have wanted you to do. I don't even have to list the amazing things you've accomplished! _Plus, _you're the new Quidditch Captain, even though I _know _you don't think you deserve it. I bet your dad would have had you flying before you could even walk." Harry blushed slightly, but he didn't drop his gaze from her. 

"Do you think…they can…see me?" Ginny knew that he was extremely uneasy as he asked these questions; boys were always stupid when it came to sensitive subjects. Deciding that the best approach would be to involve some humor, Ginny took his glasses off of his face, and placed them over her eyes. Her vision blurred for a few seconds, but her eyes finally focused and she turned to shoot a glittering grin towards him. She was surprised to see that he had his chin rested on his fist, his elbow propped on his leg. Harry was waiting for her answer, and Ginny was ready to give it,

"I've heard you look exactly like your father, from the hair to the glasses." She began, and Harry nodded as if he was listening to a very interesting and captivating lecture. Ginny's cheeks began to redden, but she continued. "So, if his glasses were as thick as yours…" She pulled them off and rubbed her eyes with one closed fist. "He should be able to see you from just about anywhere." 

Harry chuckled and took his glasses back, letting them sit at the tip of his nose. Ginny thought he looked very handsome _without _the glasses, but she knew he needed them. 

"Honestly, though," She said. "I believe that those who pass on still watch us…I don't think they ever _truly_ disappear..." Ginny felt her face heat up, and her eyes watered slightly as she thought of her grandmother that had passed away recently. 

The red head often felt as if the woman she fondly called 'Nana' helped her out in sticky situations, like the year before when she slipped on some ice in Hogsmeade and had miraculously not broken any of the glass figurines she was holding. Ginny could have sworn that she had heard her Nana's whispers in the wind. She didn't notice Harry shifting closer to her, but she did feel his arm wrap around her shoulders.

Ginny turned to him, forcing a sad smile. Harry softly smiled back and leaned his head against hers, squeezing her shoulders. He didn't have to say anything; he knew what she was thinking about, and he knew that nothing could be said to change the past.

The red head leaned her head into his shoulder, both of them slipping back to sit against the couch. She watched the fire spark and flare, jumping in the fireplace at various and random angles. Ginny felt remarkable warmth, and she knew she could sit in that position for a _very _long time. She didn't want to ruin the moment, but Ginny couldn't resist looking up at Harry, to make sure that this was actually happening, that she finally had what she had prayed for so much. 

Her brown eyes flickered towards his as she tilted her head to get a good look at him. Surprisingly, Harry was already staring down at her instead of watching the fire like she had, a very gentle smile on his face. His glittering eyes were soft and passive, and when her eyes met his, he wrinkled his nose in acknowledgement that he saw her. Ginny couldn't shake off the intense feeling Harry's eyes were sending her, so she didn't even move when he leaned in and captured her lips again, giving her a very slow and lingering kiss. It surpassed the others (though she would _never _forget them) in such a way that Ginny literally felt her heart flip in her chest, she thought she was going to start screaming giddily and dance around the room as if she was alone and listening to her favorite song. 

They parted, stared into each other's eyes for a few more moments, and then Ginny found her spot in his shoulder again and nestled into him, watching the fire once again. Harry's arm tightened around her, and he too let his gaze drop to the fire. 

Beautiful things don't last forever, Ginny and Harry knew, and as said before, the Gryffindor common room was never empty for long. A voice or two could be heard outside the portrait, and Ginny made a move to get out from under Harry's arm, but he kept it firmly around her shoulders. She looked up at him, alarmed, but he just sent her a reassuring smile, and Ginny knew that he wanted everyone to know.

"You sure?" She whispered, checking back towards the portrait entrance, where the voices were getting louder. Harry simply kissed her temple, causing Ginny to turn back at him and smile. He nodded, wrinkling his nose again,

"Damn sure." 

Ginny shot him a blinding grin, and nuzzled back into his shoulder, just as the portrait swung open. Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw her brother Ron and Hermione climb in. 

Hermione's hair was in a very messy bun on the top of her head, and Ron towered over her, grinning madly. He had his arms wrapped around her waist, and they were swaying together as if they were trying to topple each other over. Hermione's arms reached up and wrapped themselves around Ron's neck and he leaned down to kiss her. They thought they were alone. Harry and Ginny shot each other a very suggestive look, and the emerald-eyed boy took it upon himself to break up the little affair.

"Ahem." Harry fake-coughed. Ginny burst into a fit of giggles as Ron and Hermione froze, their lips still attached. They parted slightly, and Ron (the one facing the two) sent a very odd and strained smile towards them. Ginny heard Hermione whisper a few things, and Ron leaned into her ear and said something back, though, she noticed, his eyes never left the two sitting on the couch looking rather comfortable. 

Hermione finally turned around and smiled shyly at the two. She sent them the same suggestive look Harry and Ginny had shared, though she looked more intrigued. 

"Having your own party?" She asked, laughing before she could finish it. Ron, who still had his arms around her waist, glared at her, but his gaze softened just by a simple smile from the bushy haired girl. Ginny loved the fact that Hermione was able to control Ron's emotions like that. 

She shrugged slightly, and reached for Harry's hand that was over her shoulders with her right hand. Hermione smiled brightly and Ron's mouth fell open, as if to gasp. Ginny waited patiently for her brother's reaction, and was definitely surprised when he shrugged slightly and smiled softly.

"Well." Ron said. Harry squeezed her hand tightly; he was nervously anticipating his best friend's reaction. Hermione looked back at Ron curiously, and Ginny's eyes never left his. "At least it wasn't that prat Colin, can't go a day without falling on his face."

Ginny smiled brightly and jumped off the couch and right to her brother. Hermione had moved out of Ron's arms just in time, because Ginny threw her arms around Ron's neck, giggling madly. Ron hugged her back, sighing as if defeated.

"Thank you for understanding." She whispered to him, making sure that Harry and Hermione didn't hear. "I…I think he really needs me." 

Ginny pulled back and looked into Ron's eyes. He nodded slightly, and sent a soft smile. Ron rolled his eyes, and then mussed up Ginny's hair. 

"Yeah, I know. I'll still have a _talk _with him, later." He said simply. Ron then turned his attention to Hermione, who was standing behind the couch, talking to Harry. "Oh, Hermy-own-ninny," He called. She turned and grinned, blushing at his new 'nickname' for her. "Come show me that _charm_ you were talking about?"

Ginny turned to look at her friend and now noticed that her face was scarlet. She took a peek up at her brother, and noticed that his face was pale, but his ears were a bright red. Hermione waved goodbye to Ginny and Harry, and raced up the stairs. 

Ron bobbed on the heel of his feet, but then sent a weak wave towards his sister and Harry before he sped-walked out of the common room and up to the dormitories.

When their footsteps couldn't be heard, Ginny and Harry burst into laughter. Ginny grabbed her sides and made her way back onto the couch, falling onto it as tears streamed down her cheeks. Harry was in a similar state, but he stayed seated as his shoulders convulsed with chuckles. 

"I bet _we're _not allowed to see that _charm_!" Ginny squeaked, then covering her mouth because of it. Harry's laughter increased at the noise she made, and he took his glasses off to wipe at his eyes. Ginny tried, through her shaking shoulders, to admire his face, his bright and smiling face. 

She remembered when she had first laid eyes on him, when Ron boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time. Ginny knew it had been him, she had seen the scar before anyone else on at the station. She was the one that noticed him first. _If only I could be a year older, I would've shared so much with him! _But then again, maybe she would've ended up in Hermione's position, just being a friend. Nothing more. 

Harry had grown so much from their first glance at each other. His round face had become very angular and thin. All of his features were more defined, and Ginny blushed as she thought about what nice thin lips he had. He had grown in height, as well, but he was still the second shortest boy of the Gryffindors in his year, only surpassing Neville by a few inches. His position on the Quidditch team had filled him out, though, giving him muscles that the other boys noticeably lacked. 

Only three things remained same on Harry. His hair, that always, no matter how hard he tried to push it down, stuck up in odd directions. The lightening bolt scar that stayed stationary in the center of his forehead constantly reminded Ginny of the world outside of Hogwarts. And his eyes…eyes that she knew he received from his mother. When Harry was happy, those gorgeous green eyes contained smiles of their own. They held so much emotion, and by just looking into his eyes, Ginny finally understood why people say that 'Eyes are the keys to the soul.'

"I guess we should be going." Harry said softly, breaking Ginny out of her trance. She shook her head slightly and blushed furiously as she realized she had been staring at Harry for a quite some time. He just smiled at her and stood up, putting his hand out for her. Ginny graciously took it, and being silly, she curtseyed slightly, and Harry bowed. They burst into giggles again, and Harry pulled her close to hug her. He kissed her forehead, and looked into her eyes (he was only an inch or two taller than her). Ginny smiled a very wide smile, and then took her hand in his, leading him up the stairs and to the dorms.

When they reached the flat that separated the boys' and girls' dorms, Harry and Ginny stood by the window, holding the others' hands in theirs, as if they were getting ready to play 'London Bridge.' They swung their connected hands slightly, neither saying a word, just smiling contently. 

"Well…I guess this is goodnight." She said softly, frowning a bit. Harry nodded slightly, but did not make any move to leave. Ginny sighed softly and let go of his hands. She stepped towards him, and centimeters from his face, she said, "Parting is such sweet sorrow." She smiled brightly and kissed his lips, just for a second.

"Then I shall say goodnight till it be morrow." Harry answered, blushing slightly. Ginny's eyes widened and she clasped her hands together. 

"Oh! You've read Romeo and Juliet? I read it in Muggle Studies this year!" She asked excitedly. Harry shook his head, but smiled at her reaction,

"No, it's just a famous line, most Muggles and Muggle-born know it." He explained. Ginny nodded in understanding, and then sighed softly. 

"Good night, then." She said. Harry finally nodded and turned towards his door. 

"Good night, and thanks, Ginny." He opened the door and shut it quietly. Ginny, who had just opened the door to the girls' dorm stayed motionless for a few seconds. 

Having Harry say her name was like a million surprise birthdays, like zooming around on the fastest broom in the world, like finally finishing that five feet long Potions paper and still having twenty minutes to spare. 

Ginny quickly raced up the stairs to her bedroom, and shut the door loudly behind her. She knew that all her friends were still partying, so she didn't bother to be quiet about her entrance. Pigwidgeon (Ron had kicked him out of his dorm because of his incessant hooting) woke up at her entrance, and began to playfully hoot, bouncing around in his cage. 

Then, she let out a squeal of happiness, and she twirled around her room, jumping and swishing her hair around her face. She stopped in front of a mirror and grinned at her reflection. Her long red locks fell past her shoulders and her dark brown eyes shone with such excitement that her cheeks were a very rosy red. 

"Have a good night?" The mirror asked. "You look simply _ravishing_!" 

Ginny's blush deepened, and she thanked the mirror with a toss of her hair. 

"A _very _good night. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go write a letter." She bowed to the mirror, and rushed over to her dresser. Ginny pulled out her pajama dress and a roll of parchment. Putting the parchment in her mouth, she was able to pull off her shirt and skirt in quick motions. She slipped her dress on easily, and shivered because a breeze had floated through the room. Maybe Harry would let her wear his jumper. She released an excited giggle. 

Ginny clambered onto her bed, pulling her book bag in with her. She shut her curtains and performed a silencing charm on the area. Ginny did not want the other girls to hear her involuntary giggles when she thought of the past night. She pulled out her favorite quill (it's feather changed colors to match her mood; it was a very bright pink) and her ink well, and began to furiously write on the parchment. 

She wanted to do something for Harry, even though in the back of her mind she knew that she had already done a lot. Ginny wanted to give him what he wanted most in the world, as best as she could. The red head knew that there was a chance…a chance that she might be able to help him more. All she wanted was to see him smile that smile she was in love with…yes, in _love _with. She would wait for him to feel the same way about her smile before she told him. Ginny had been waiting for the past four years; she can wait a little longer. 

After she signed her signature in a neat and loopy fashion, Ginny performed a drying charm on the ink and lifted it up, to read it. Yes. This would do. 

She scampered out of her bed and towards the window where Pigwidgeon and her roommate's owl, Snitch, were stationed. Pig seemed very excited to be receiving a letter, as he always did, and he nearly got his head caught between the bars of his cage as Ginny reached for him. 

The red head tied the letter to his leg, and holding him tightly in one hand, she pointed a finger at him and in a scolding voice said,

"This is a _very _important letter, Pigwidgeon. You _must _be careful with it!"

Pigwidgeon hooted in response, a determined glare in his bright eyes. With that, Ginny pushed open her window, and released Pig from her grasp. He zoomed around her head once or twice, but then shot out the window, at remarkable speed. 

Ginny, satisfied after watching the little owl disappear, waltzed back to her bed, dancing with an imaginary partner. She fell onto her bed with a happy sigh, and crawled under her covers, thinking about Harry, and the letter she had just sent…

_Dear Mum, _

_ I hope Pigwidgeon gets this letter to you at a decent hour. I'm sending it around ten-thirty at night because I just got a brilliant idea that couldn't wait until morning. Harry and I were talking tonight, and he was very upset (do NOT tell him I told you, you know how sensitive boys are about their feelings). His parents died on Halloween night, and he had only discovered it this past summer. So, we talked about stuff and I made him feel better (go me, hehe). Now Mum, don't get any ideas! You know how I feel about Harry; you're probably the only person who truly does. I care a lot about him, and after tonight, I'm quite sure that the feeling is reciprocated. I've never been so excited in my life, I actually danced around my room, twirling and spinning! Is this how you felt with Dad? _

_ Anyway, I would like to ask a favor of you. Harry was really upset about never seeing his parents' gravesite, so I was wondering if you might be able to find it for him…me. Maybe we could visit it over Christmas holiday? With permission from Dumbledore, of course. I just thought he would appreciate it, and you know as well as I do that Harry deserves some happiness. _

_ Well, thank you for listening, and don't worry, I _will _give you details about tonight; being your only daughter does have its advantages, doesn't it? Please write back soon, as I'm completely giddy with excitement from the past night. _

_ With Love,_

_Ginny_

"_Yes._" Ginny thought as she drifted off to sleep. "_That will do just fine._" 

And she dreamt of the night, replaying the kisses and the tears and the hugs over and over. She was sure that she wouldn't have to dream of them much longer, because soon, Harry would kiss her again, and the two could be happy together, making each other smile. 

**So what you think? Please review, that always makes me so happy =) **

**Until then…**

**~~S. C. Hardy**


	2. Breathe

_Edit 02-03-03—thanks to amulder and everpresent (or are you one in the same? Your reviews were frighteningly similar) for pointing out the color of Ginny's eyes! This problem has been fixed!_

**Hey guys…this is the second chapter (of what now seems to be a few more ^_^) of "I Saw You Cry." I hope you enjoy, it's in Harry's POV now.**__

**H**arry Potter slowly opened the door to his dormitory. He winced as the door creaked, and he peered in to make sure that it was empty. The emerald eye boy released a sigh of relief as he noticed that his best friend's sheets were still freshly pressed, his normal mess on the side of his bed. Harry quickly made it over to his dresser, where he kicked off his shoes and got ready to change into his pajamas. 

On top of his bureau was memorabilia from his time at Hogwarts, and in the light of the moon that shone through the window adjacent to his bed he admired them. His Chudley Cannon's hat, a model Snitch, and rolls of parchment that contained various pictures the boys had drawn one night (Dean especially). There was also a picture tree that Hermione had given him for his birthday. It was basically a small metal tree, and at the end of the branches were places for photos. The other boys had snickered when Harry had put it up, but he didn't want to hurt Hermione's feelings and leave it in the box. 

The top picture was one of the trio all laughing at what seemed to be a joke Fred and George must've been playing, explaining the Filibuster fireworks that were shooting around in the background. It had been that previous summer, and the Weasleys had made sure Harry laughed so much that he couldn't remember this exact occasion. 

Another picture, one that Harry now stared at with utter amazement after the night's events, was one of just Ginny and himself, sitting on a large swing the Weasleys had just added to their backyard garden. They both smiled at the camera awkwardly, both blushing brightly.

Harry chuckled softly at the memory. It came flashing back to him, as picture Harry darted his eyes towards picture Ginny. George (or was it Fred?) had told Ginny that she and Harry needed to christen the swing…he had offered some ideas that had made the two turn dark shades of red. The part that made picture Harry blush, though, was the fact that he had actually _liked _some of Fred's (or George's!) ideas. Even in his cool dormitory, Harry's face heated up at the thoughts.

His feelings for Ginny had developed quite rapidly, catching the raven-haired boy by surprise. It seemed, to Harry at least, that Ginny had blossomed into an intelligent, witty, charismatic young woman just as quickly as he lost sight of the Snitch during Quidditch games. He could remember the precise moment where he noticed his sudden change in view of her, and now that he looked back on it, he wondered why it had taken him so long to realize what a beautiful woman she was. 

It had been the Saturday Harry was going to leave for The Burrow. He had been absolutely thrilled to get away from the Dursleys, especially with his new reason to hate them (hiding the letter that explained his parents' deaths had caused him to skip numerous meals and scare Dudley with even more with threats of his murderous Godfather). This year, like the last, Harry traveled through Floo Powder with Mr. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny (Mr. Weasley had decided that it was far too risky to bring the twins again). 

Harry led Ron and Ginny upstairs to gather the rest of his belongings while Mr. Weasley tried to strike a conversation with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Before the three got too far up the stairs, they distinctively heard Mr. Weasley ask if he could try to fit his plug into an outlet of theirs, preferably Aunt Petunia's, because he had a very small plug and she seemed to be a dainty lady. The three had to sit down on the top steps to try and contain their laughter as they heard a very indignant gasp escape from Aunt Petunia's 'dainty' mouth. 

Hearing their laughter, Dudley Dursley peeked out of his room, glaring at the three. Harry ceased his chuckles immediately, and Ron, noticing his friend's abrupt stop, controlled himself as well. He followed Harry's gaze, and glowered at the portly boy. 

Ginny, however, continued to giggle madly, covering her mouth in a pointless attempt to stop her self. Harry curiously noticed that Dudley did not shut his door immediately at the sight of Harry and his 'freaky' friends. He noticed that the 'pig in a wig' was staring rather intensely at the still laughing red head, a single eyebrow raised in interest.

The green eye boy didn't understand Dudley's captivation with Ginny until he actually turned to look at the laughing redhead himself. She looked like the Ginny he had known for the past three years, except…he noticed that she as she put her hands into her lap, her smile seemed to glow in the dim hallway. 

The redhead's hair was pulled into a low ponytail that rested on her neck, and it wasn't straight like he was used to seeing; it consisted of loose curls, with one that swirled down in front of her face. Ginny's chocolate brown eyes shone with delight, still recalling her father's comments, and she darted them towards Harry, sending him a personal smile that reached her drops of chocolate and made them shimmer even more. 

Her clothing was simple enough as well, a small periwinkle t-shirt under a pair of faded denim overalls; he could tell they were worn out because of the weariness of the clasps. She stared oddly at Harry, and he quickly snapped his gaze away from her, feeling an immense blush grow on his cheeks. Ron was also eyeing him strangely, but he shrugged and clambered up the last step into Harry's room.

He and Ginny stood up as well, and she peeked over at Dudley, sending him a small wave. Harry watched as his cousin's face blushed furiously in the light that was coming from his room, and Dudley quickly disappeared, shutting the door behind him. Ginny turned to Harry, a confused look plastered on her face. He just shrugged, and being the noble person he was, Harry held the door for her, and she curtseyed graciously while he bowed in response.

She never looked like the little first year he had rescued from the Chamber of Secrets again. Harry couldn't put his finger on it, but he did notice these new feelings he had for Miss. Virginia Weasley. At first, he thought it was the simple fact that _Dudley _had noticed her, but after shaking his head in disgust, Harry realized that there was perfectly good reason for a teenage boy to be attracted to Ginny. She was gorgeous in the most non-cliché ways. 

The fact that she could make Harry smile even when he was in the foulest of moods was an absolute clincher for him, making him want to get to know her more than he had anyone before. She had the perfect comment for every situation, the right joke for the darkest of days, and a bright smile that could make a Dementor blush. Harry found himself staring at her more than once (also being knocked to his senses by one of her brothers, who often sent glares at him once he came back to his senses), and he had dreamt about her quite often since the day he left Four Privet Drive. 

The fact that the two both wandered around the school together while Hermione and Ron went off for some 'private conversations' also helped Harry's crush grow, letting him get to know her better, and watching their relationship develop into something that seemed like a bit more than friendship. 

It was funny to recall the memories of their trips to Hogsmeade and down the long empty hallways of Hogwarts. Numerous times, Harry had been too engrossed in the fact that Ginny was standing so close to him, that he wouldn't speak. He feared that his already red cheeks (he had blamed them on the cold every time Ginny asked) would grow a darker shade at any sort of touch, or he would stutter and reveal his nervousness. The long periods of silence occurred numerous times, and Ginny had become accustomed to finding new topics of conversation ("So Harry, I hear you play Quidditch?"). After she made her comment, Harry would relax, laugh, and begin to talk as if she were Ron or Hermione (not exactly, though).

He had no idea why he kissed her tonight. It had just seemed like the right thing to do, like it was out of some script of a movie. She had said everything he had ever wanted to hear, and…he guessed that's what sealed his true feelings for her. Harry knew that she cared about him just as much as he cared about her, and to the emerald eyed boy, that meant everything. 

Stretching his arms and yawning, Harry pulled the top dresser open and searched through his clumps of clothing. The Boy Who Lived was not known for keeping a tidy room. Living with four other boys for this long had helped him get rid of any need of organization he ever had (which was never much). The only things that were in any sort of order were the objects in his chest, and those were never touched by anyone other than him. 

Harry pulled out a pair of light blue pajama pants and quickly, so he could get to sleep, he flung off his jumper and pulled his jeans off with a little help from his feet. Carefully, he laid his glasses on the dresser; he didn't want to have to get another pair from Madame Pomfrey anytime soon. After he was changed, Harry pulled his curtains open and crawled into his bed, pulling up the blankets as he arranged his pillow. He could never find the perfect position for it. 

It was then that he heard soft breathing that wasn't his own. Harry froze, with one leg under his covers and the other still touching the floor. Squinting his eyes towards the foot of his bed, Harry noticed that there was a gangly figure standing there. Without thinking, he pulled his wand out from under his pillow, and pointed it straight at the figure,

"Don't do anything stupid!" The figure screamed right before Harry sent a curse at it. The emerald eye boy sighed with relief and frustration; he recognized the voice.

"Ron, what are you _doing_?" Harry shot some sparks towards his friend, who was now sitting cross-legged on his bed. 

"_Lumos_." Ron muttered, and Harry could now see that his best friend's face was one of seriousness. "Come on Potter, I would think you'd have noticed my sneakers and clothes dumped on the side of my bed, don't you remember anything Moody said? CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Ron roared, punching his left open palm with his right fist.

"Again, what are you _doing_?" Harry asked, not intimidated by Ron's accurate impression of their former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but annoyed at himself for not realizing that Ron's pile of clothes had been composed of the clothes he was wearing that day. Harry shivered slightly, worried about the fact that he wasn't able to pick up that little piece of information. 

"You really thought I'd let you live happily ever after once I saw you were with my sister?"

The raven-haired boy groaned and covered his face with his hands. Ron snickered slightly, leaning back on his hands. He too had changed into his pajamas, consisting of orange shorts and a Chudley Cannons shirt. The one thing in the back of Harry's mind that night (because it was definitely occupied by something else, namely another red head) was the fact that he would have to deal with Ron, and _five _other Weasley brothers because of his current status with their 'baby' sister. The thought of them all ganging up on him scared Harry as much as the dragon he had faced the year before. And _that _was a very scary experience.

"I knew it was too good to be true." Harry mumbled. "Just get it over with, I can take it." 

They sat in silence for a few moments, and the green-eyed boy grew anxious, thinking that Ron was powering up his wand with a very strong hex. Instead, Harry's red haired friend just sighed. He peeked through his hands and was startled to see that Ron was smiling in a very defeated sort of way.

"What?" was all Harry could say. Ron shrugged and darted his eyes away from Harry's. "_What _Ron?" 

Ron seemed to growl, and Harry stopped his questions. Whatever his friend was thinking, Harry did not want to make it worse. 

"I can't find anything wrong with it." Ron mumbled, crossing his arms. The green eye boy sat upright very quickly, staring at Ron with a very concerned and confused look. 

"Really?" Harry asked, his voice barely a whisper. Ron groaned loudly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I mean, I'll literally kill you if you break her heart," He forced a laugh; Harry did not. "Hey, no worries, I know that you would never lead her on, you're too noble for something like _that_…but…" The glint in Ron's eyes reminded his friend of the twins. "Harry…this isn't some crazy hormone thing, right? Cause there _are_ other methods of relief for that…" The red head grinned widely at his friend, whose jaw had dropped in disbelief.

Harry sputtered something incoherent, and Ron laughed, grabbing his sides. The green eye boy took this as an opening and quickly snatched his pillow and swung it against Ron's head. The red head tumbled through the curtains and landed with a thud onto the ground, making Harry laugh just as hard as Ron had. The red head still had both of his legs on Harry's bed, and Harry saw this as an opportunity to _really _get Ron back. The raven-haired boy pulled his wand back out and pointed it at Ron's shaking legs (he was still convulsing of laughter, even after the fall).

"_Locomotor Mortis_!" Harry shouted, and Ron's legs immediately went stiff. 

"_HEY_!" Ron screamed, sliding his legs off in an odd fashion, having them clunk on the ground. "You piece of…" He was drowned out by Harry's laughter, and Ron now had to fight his way out of the curtains. 

Harry jumped out of his bed and stood over Ron, watching his friend wriggle out of the mass of curtains. Somehow, the red head had managed to bring Harry's quilt down with him, making this mess of material even thicker. 

"_Help me out_! I spare your life and _this_ is how you thank me?!" Ron roared, pulling his head out from under the blanket. His shaggy hair stuck straight up, causing Harry to laugh even harder. "I could _murder _you because of what you're planning on doing with my baby sister!" 

"I'm not planning on doing_ anything_ to _Ginny_!" Harry exclaimed, his laughter dying immediately. He broke the leg-lock off of Ron and the red head was standing up within seconds. He clearly towered over Harry, as he did the rest of the fifth years and some sixth and seventh years, but Harry did not drop his stance, he was determined to tell Ron how he felt. 

"I care _a lot_ about her, and I just want to…" He sighed, letting his shoulders drop. "I don't _know _what I'm going to do. I've never felt like this before, my crush on Cho _never _made my stomach feel like _this_. Like…like…" 

"Like it hurts not to be with her?" Ron answered for him, his ears burning red. Harry eyed his friend carefully, and then smiled,

"Yeah. Exactly. Is that how it is for you and Hermione?" He asked carefully, not sure if Ron was still ready to wallop him. Though, Harry was sure that it was _exactly _how Ron felt about Hermione, because Harry and pretty much everyone else in the school had seen how much the two cared about each other before they had. He just wanted to see if Ron would spill his true feelings for their bushy haired housemate. 

Their relationship had only begun this past summer, the second Hermione arrived at The Burrow and told Ron that she was not going to Bulgaria to visit Viktor Krum. In an act only a true Gryffindor could have accomplished, Ron kissed her dead on the lips in front of his _entire _family once she had revealed her information. True, he almost choked from lack of air because he was so shocked by his own actions, but it _was _quite romantic, and Hermione seemed to enjoy his quick actions.

"I've felt like this since first year, I just thought it was because I liked to annoy her." Ron chuckled at the thought. "Now that I look back at all the stuff I used to do to her, I feel like such a moron, I was _really _mean to her sometimes!" 

"And she _still _likes you? Maybe she's had one too many glasses of Butterbeer." Harry joked, dodging Ron's jabs. 

The red head cuffed him in the stomach before either spoke again. Ron managed to grab Harry's arms and twist them around his back. Pushing him forward, Ron pinned the green eye boy on the bed, and Harry decided to stop struggling, because there was no point wasting energy against Ron's brute strength. 

"She more than _likes _me, I'll have you know!" Ron growled jokingly (at least Harry hoped). Harry turned his head slightly to look at his friend's now flushed face. 

"Oh _really_?" Harry asked. "What do you _mean_ more than _likes _you?" 

Ron released Harry, and the raven-haired boy quickly sat on his bed, rubbing his shoulders. He watched as his best friend paced in front of him, both hands on the back of his neck. Ron looked utterly flustered, and a silly grin kept trying to creep onto his face though he kept suppressing it. Harry stared at him in disbelief, and he figured since Ron always had a problem expressing feelings, that he would start off the conversation,

"Have you two…_you know_…" He winked, and grinned at Ron's horrified face. Though, the thing that Harry was implying made him cringe with the image of his two best friends engaged in such activities…ew. 

"_No_! Are you in_sane_?" His face burned red and he turned away from Harry, his arms crossed. "_Honestly_." He muttered. Harry snorted softly; Hermione was notably having quite an affect on his beanstalk of a friend. 

Ron's temper had nearly diminished, proving that by using the fact he hadn't cursed at Malfoy all year. His grades were actually going up and he hadn't slept through one History of Magic lesson the entire year. His attitude some times reminded the others of Hermione's, especially when he used some of her patented quotes.

"_Mer_lin, I was _jo_king! So?" Harry continued, pushing all of Ron's buttons. "What _did _you mean?" 

Ron stopped pacing and rolled his eyes at his friend; as if that was the stupidest question he'd ever heard (Another Hermione-related trait). 

"Shetoldmeshelovedme." He mumbled quickly, keeping his eyes away from Harry's. The raven-haired boy's mouth hung open, and he stared at his friend in pure disbelief.

"N_o_!" He said, as if he couldn't imagine it actually happening. Ron shot him a look that showed he was hurt by the comment.

"_Thanks_, that's the last time I tell _you_ anything…" And he began to shuffle towards his bed, mumbling incoherent words, but Harry knew they weren't suitable for young children's ears.

"Wait Ron, I didn't mean it in a _bad _way, its just…_Hermione _said it first?" Harry had to run his hand through his semi-dry hair so his hands would stop shaking. Why was this bothering him so much? He already knew that the two loved each other, why was it such a shock?

The fact that his friends _were_ that serious with each other might be the reason. Harry saw how they giggled and smiled and looked into each other's eyes, but…how did they know? He wasn't even sure about what Quidditch play he should tell the team to perform, even though he had been playing for almost five years. How could they be so sure after just a few months?

Ron turned around quickly, a broad grin on his face,

"I _know_! I couldn't believe it either! I mean; I _wanted _to tell her, but I thought she'd give me this whole lecture about how we're too young, and that we've only been dating for a few months, and yadda yadda yadda! But, one night in the common room, oh, by the way, thanks for noticing I didn't come back until past midnight, mate, I really appreciate your concern," Harry shrugged slightly at the sarcasm in Ron's voice (he had been sleeping rather deeply since the end of last year, the fact that he never really wanted to wake up might have been the cause).

"Just shut up and continue." Harry pressed on. Ron rolled his eyes again in a very Hermione-like way and started up his story again,

"Well, we were just talking…_seriously_! Don't give me that look!" Harry snorted, but motioned for Ron to continue, which he did with a huff. "And she started talking about all the things she thought was great about me, and then, she said… 'Ron, I…I think I love you,' just like that, in a voice just a bit higher than her normal one." Ron smiled a silly grin, and nodded towards Harry, his eyes glazed with emotion

"Wow." Harry said simply. "And…you said it back?" Ron nodded, very proud of his accomplishment.

"Sure, I was in shock for a good thirty seconds until she kissed me to get out of my trance, but, yeah, I did. And it felt _great_, it's like something that's been sitting on my shoulders for the past four years has finally been lifted off." Ron tilted his head slightly, biting his tongue. "Will you _listen to me_? I sound like Hermione, good night, and be warned now, you will have five other brothers to deal with that aren't as nice as me." 

And with that, he turned and strode to his bed, climbing through the curtains and shutting them quickly. 

Harry watched Ron's curtains swish for a few moments before he tore his gaze away, and he looked around the room, towards the window on the opposite side of the room. He could've sworn he saw a tiny flick of an owl fly by, but no one would be sending letters at this time. Though, it could have been Pigwidgeon, the Weasley's tiny owl. Ginny might be sending a letter. _Ginny_…he might as well think about her, because the second he put his head on his lopsided pillow and closed his eyes, his thoughts would drift to her. 

The raven-haired boy slid back into his bed, pulling his quilt up off the floor and shutting his curtains in a swift motion. He laid his head on his pillow and stared up at the top of his canopy.

He couldn't help but smile at the thought of her. She had said all the right words, touched him in the right places, and smiled like she didn't care about missing the Halloween party (at that moment, his other roommates had come in, making a racket of noise). 

_Oh no_…Harry slowly brought his hand to his forehead, and massaged the scar that rested upon it. 

He'd forgotten about them, just like the rest of the world had. She had helped him He had finally taken some time to grieve over his parents, and he just forgot about them in less than five minutes! How horrible of him! 

"Breath Harry…just _breath_…" He whispered to himself, hoping that the other boys wouldn't hear him. 

Ginny had helped him through his little…_breakdown_. Harry flinched at the thought. He _broke down_. What would happen to him if he had to face Voldemort again? Would he just start crying because of the pain his scar was causing? What had changed him? He had never cried before about any of this, even when Rita Skeeter was writing those awful articles!

Maybe it was the fact that he never knew the truth, the entire truth. Their deaths had just been…a story to him. A very true and _depressing _story, but a story nonetheless. The fact that James and Lily Potter actually had a date on their tombstones…well, Harry couldn't truly believe it until he saw it, right? That's how the saying goes, isn't it?

He rubbed his eyes roughly, trying to make them go to sleep. Harry figured he would just not think about it, that tomorrow, he would go back to how it used to be, when he didn't know. 

_Ginny knows. She knows exactly how you feel about **everything**__._

Argh. If he walked into the Great Hall tomorrow looking upset, there was no way he could lie to her about how he was feeling. She knew. The moment she looked into his eyes, she would be able to tell exactly what was wrong with him. There was no hiding from it anymore.

_Hiding_. Wow, he pretty much told Ginny that he didn't want to hide their relationship. And, if the world were a safe and happy place, they wouldn't have to. If Harry didn't have a scar shaped as a lightening bolt in the middle of his forehead, then he and Ginny could walk the halls hand in hand without a second thought (except of her brothers, of course). He wouldn't have to worry about the wrong people finding out and Ginny wouldn't have to be under careful watch, like he was. There was no way Harry was going to allow her to get hurt, not because of him, or for any reason. She has nothing to do with what's going on in the world, she's innocent…she's so innocent… 

Harry sat up abruptly in his bed, his hand shooting up not to its common resting spot upon his forehead, but to his chest, right above his heart. It hurt, his heart _literally_ hurt. The pain was excruciating, and when he opened his mouth to scream, nothing came out except some very painful croaks. He found it hard to breath, and he shut his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the fact that his head was spinning extremely fast.

"What's that noise?" He heard Dean call. More voices began to murmur, and he vaguely remembered that Harry had other roommates. 

"Sounds like it's coming from Harry's bed…" Seamus Finnegan said from the bed on the other side of Ron. Harry heard the shuffling of footsteps, but he was too occupied in breathing than he was trying to figure out who was coming. Each breath he took was raspy, and it seemed to take so much more effort than in normally did…he felt so heavy...

Light shone on his face in the form of a few wands, and his roommates stared on in shock. Ron was the first to react by shaking Harry's shoulders, though it didn't knock the dazed look in the boy's emerald eyes. 

"Harry?" Ron called frantically. "What's wrong? Is your scar hurting?" 

With each shake that Ron thrust upon him, Harry's head pounded with intense pain. Dean shouted that he was going to go and find some help, Ron continued to call Harry's name (because he was not responding to anything he said), and Seamus rushed to turn on all the lights in the room, just to feel more secure. It was Neville ironically, that spoke with the calmest voice,

"Let go of him Ron, let him lie down." The short boy said softly. The pounding in Harry's head ceased as soon as Ron let him go, and he fell back onto his back, eyes still wide and his lungs still gasping for air.

"What Neville? Do you know what's wrong?" Ron asked nervously, stepping away from the bed rubbing his neck with one of his large hands. 

Their voices seemed extremely loud to Harry, and no matter how hard he tried to divert his eyes from the canopy of his bed, his emerald jewels did not deter. 

"I think I do…_Alito Giusto!_" Neville exclaimed, pointing his wand at Harry's chest. Ron released a distressed yelp, obviously not fully trusting Neville's magic with his best friend's life. A stream of sky blue light shot out of Neville's wand and burst onto Harry's chest, then spreading all around his body until The Boy Who Lived glowed the mysterious color. It grew brighter, and then faded with Ron and Neville (and now Seamus, who was timidly watching from behind Ron) holding their breath.

Harry took in a very large wheeze of air, his back arching in the process. He gripped the sheets beneath him firmly, his knuckles glowing white, and he shut his eyes tightly. 

With a relieved moan, Harry fell back onto his bed, beads of sweat falling down his forehead. Ron was immediately looking down upon him, and for a moment, all Harry could see was the red of his friend's hair. 

"Harry?" He asked quietly. The green eye boy blinked a few times, and then wiped some of his hair out of his eyes (hair that was now sopping wet again because of the sweat he had perspired). 

"What happened?" Harry croaked, using his elbows to prop himself up. He squinted his eyes as the three figures that stood in front of him went in and out of focus.

"_Accio Harry's Glasses._" Neville said calmly, and through the curtains, a pair of round spectacles shot into the boy's hand. "Here you go, Harry." He said nicely. 

"Thanks." He whispered, not trusting his voice. Ron looked very bewildered by the entire event, and Seamus was extremely pale. 

"Was your scar hurting?" The Irish boy asked, his voice gravely low. Harry shook his head immediately, wrapping his arms around himself because the pain he had been feeling was still resonating throughout his body. 

He could care less if his roommates thought he was some sort of wimp. He had shown them more than once the amount of pain he could endure…but then again, he _can't_ let them know he was scared, because if _Harry Potter_ was scared, then _they_ had a lot of problems to deal with. Harry's arms quickly found themselves at his sides. 

"No…I…I just couldn't breath…what was that spell, Neville?" 

He watched as his friend blushed and squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Oh, well…over the summer, my Grandmother was having some respiratory problems, so I had to learn that spell…it helps the lungs get more air, it unblocks whatever was blocking the air."

"So Harry was choking?" Ron asked incredulously. "I thought you couldn't make sounds when you choke?" 

Harry gulped. It had felt like he was choking, but, Ron _was _right. Maybe he should tell them about how his heart had throbbed painfully…he shook his head slightly; there was no need to worry them any more. 

Neville nodded, staring at Harry with a perplexed look.

"You're right, Ron. I mean, when I performed the spell on my Grandmother, all it did was make her torso blue…but on Harry…it surrounded him." Harry began to sweat more profusely, not because of the prior experience, but because of Neville's words. _Of course_ the spell worked differently on him, why wouldn't it? _Of course _Harry Potter would react differently to simple spells like that, nothing normal _ever_ happened to him. 

"So we should get him to the Hospital Wing, then." Seamus said, rushing to the other side of Harry's bed to look for his cloak. "Come on, curfew isn't until eleven today, we can still make it without getting in trouble."

"No, I'm fine!" Harry protested in a weak voice. Ron rolled his eyes immediately, and pulled Harry's arm, dragging him out of bed.

"Stop being so righteous, come on." He said in a commanding voice. Seamus returned with Harry's cloak and shoes, and the green eye boy could not recall a time his Irish friend ever looked so scared. Maybe _he _knew the significance of Halloween Night to Harry and was hoping that the same events were not going to occur like they had fourteen years ago. 

Ron pulled Harry up, and Seamus flung Harry's cloak across his shoulders, much to the dismay of the raven-haired boy. 

"I'm not dying!" Harry said hoarsely, his voice cracking. The other three boys eyed him suspiciously and then rolled their eyes, not buying Harry's brave face. 

"Just put on your shoes, you dumb prat." Ron shoved him in the shoulder as Harry reluctantly sat down on the bed to put on his sneakers. The red head made his way over to his bed, and Harry realized that Ron was not going to walk down to the Hospital Wing in his current attire as well. 

As Harry watched Ron search under his bed for his sneakers, the door to their dorm swung open, and he leaned across his bed to peer through his curtains to see who had entered. 

Dean Thomas held his hand to his chest, breathing heavily and looking rather bewildered. Behind him stood a gaggle of Gryffindor boys, and directly behind Dean was this year's Head Boy, Dominick Marino. 

"What seems to be the problem here?" Dominick said with a loud voice of authority. He had slick black hair that fell in front of his eyes, and a rather distinct mustache that was very neat and trimmed. He towered over Dean, and with his broad shoulders and deep brown eyes he intimidated most of the students at Hogwarts. He was a _very_ popular Head Boy (mostly with the females). 

Harry rolled his eyes at Dominick's authority and slid off his bed, putting his arms through the sleeves of his cloak. Seamus approached the Head Boy cautiously, darting his eyes back towards Harry as if he was worried that his friend would get angry with him.

"Er…Harry was having trouble breathing, but Neville helped him out. We were just going to bring him down to the Hospital Wing." He explained. Dominick raised his eyebrows questioningly, and peered into the room to see if he could get a glimpse of Harry. Ron, who found his cloak and sneakers, now joined Harry by his bed, and the two walked towards the door.

"He's okay now, it's just to make sure, right Harry?" Ron nudged his best friend roughly in the shoulders, and Harry forced a smile.

"Yes, just to make sure." He said through gritted teeth. Dominick stared at the two skeptically, his arms crossed tightly in front of his chest. Neville backed away to his bed as the other Gryffindor boys in the hallway began to disperse. Only Fred and George Weasley remained, and they looked genuinely concerned as Dominick moved away to let Harry and Ron through.

"You want us to come with you, Harry?" Fred asked, already following them. The green eye boy wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, why did _everyone _have to worry about him? He was walking, wasn't he? He was alive, wasn't _that_ enough?

"No, I don't want any_more _Gryffindors out at all hours, except…Longbottom, you accompany them, since you know the spell, just in case." Dominick said with a voice that reminded all four boys in the stairwell of Percy Weasley. Fred and George made faces at their roommate, but they obeyed his command and trudged up the stairs to the Seventh Years' dorm. Neville shuffled quickly around to find his cloak, and then smiled meekly at Harry and Ron as he joined them.

Dominick watched as the three made their way down the stairs before he turned up towards his dorms. He trusted that Harry and Ron had been around the castle at night so many times that they didn't need an escort. 

They passed a few Gryffindors still lingering in the common room, and were greeted with odd looks as they headed out of the portrait hole.

"You boys shouldn't be out at this hour!" The Fat Lady reprimanded. They continued to walk without paying second thought to her ("_Well_! After all the times I've kept my mouth shut about them!").

The three walked in silence, past some stragglers who were rushing back into their common rooms. The windows that lined the hallways created strips of light, making the halls seem very mysterious. Ghosts popped in and out of the walls, greeting the boys with cheery hellos. 

They approached a group of sixth year Ravenclaw girls who were giggling madly with Cho Chang slowly following them. She was staring out the windows, her long hair hanging loosely around her face and her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her expression filled with sadness, and Harry wondered what could have happened at the party that would make her so gloomy. 

The reason hit him with such force that he had to stop dead in his tracks. Ron and Neville stopped abruptly and looked back him, full of concern. Halloween was also a horrible day for Cho. It was the day that Cedric was chosen as Hogwarts' Champion. The day it all began. 

As the girls passed, Cho turned her head slightly and her eyes caught Harry's. He still thought that she was immensely beautiful, even if he didn't think of her the same way he used to. Over the summer, all romantic dreams of Cho had been thrown out the window; he was never going to betray Cedric like that. Plus, Ginny had occupied his mind so much, that he hadn't even had _time_ to think of her. 

She stopped and smiled weakly at Harry, who returned the smile. By the glazing of her eyes, he was sure that she was aware that he knew what was wrong. Ron and Neville shared a confused look, but they continued down the hallway stopping at the corner; something in the air between Harry and Cho had told them to stay away. 

He didn't know what to say, he had never had a full conversation with the girl before, but now they shared so much, that horrible sense of loss...

"Shitty night, no?" She said softly, and Harry looked up with a solemn smile, a bit surprised at her language. 

"Very. How are you?" He asked, not knowing what else to say. Cho simply shrugged and sighed, tossing her hair over her shoulders. 

"Just trying to get by. There are some times when I just want to scream and hurt something, but…it's getting better." Her voice much more bitter than he had ever heard it. 

Harry nodded slightly, biting his tongue. How do you consol a girl about the boyfriend you basically led to his death? She knew it wasn't his fault, and since she had not sent him one glare this entire time back at Hogwarts, he also knew that she didn't hate him. That was nice of her. 

"That's good." He whispered, shuffling on his feet. It was odd to talk to Cho and not feel the familiar rush of blood heading towards his face. Maybe, as a fellow Quidditch player, they could form a friendship from their awkward but very similar situation. 

"There's going to be a Christmas Ball," She said quickly, "since last year's went so well." Her voice cracked faintly. Harry's eyes narrowed slightly, full of concern for the tiny Ravenclaw that stood in front of him. 

She was still about a head shorter than him in sneakers, but tonight, she was wearing heeled shoes, and her eyes were almost at the same level as his. He watched as her eyes watered and she rolled them towards the ceiling as if to keep her tears from falling. Cho forced a smile and blew out a sad puff of air,

"Dumbledore just told me, he knew I was going to miss the Prefect meeting tomorrow because of Quidditch tryouts, Captain can't miss that, right?" Harry nodded, and noticing for the first time since the beginning of the year a small badge that sparkled on her cloak. "Sounds like fun, doesn't it?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Not particularly, though Ginny would probably enjoy it…" His voice trailed off as Cho looked away. He felt so stupid for mentioning his potential (probable) date. How could he have been so inconsiderate? After all, he knew why she had mentioned the ball in the first place: to add the fact that she would have to go through more things without Cedric.

"I _have _to go to it, _Prefect_ duties. Dumbledore sent me a sympathetic smile after he told me." Cho spat, her face growing red from anger. "And I know they only gave me this position because they feel _sorry_ for me. And my teammates chose me as Captain for the same reason; they all _pity_ me. They all think I'm just the poor little girl that lost her boyfriend. That's _it._" 

Tears leaked out of her eyes as she stared into Harry's emeralds. He said nothing though; just by staring at her anguished expression he knew that this rant had been inside of her for a long time. "Why do they feel so sorry for me when all I did was love him? Was loving him a mistake?" 

Harry caught his breath at her question, but he shook his head rapidly as her tears fell more freely,

"No, Cho! What's the phrase? Er…'It's better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all'? Would you rather have not experienced all the great things you did with him, just so they wouldn't feel bad for you now that he's gone?" Harry's voice cracked as he told her that Cedric was gone. The thought of never seeing Hufflepuff still panged his heart; thought he knew that it always would. 

He put a hand on her shoulder as tears slowly streamed down her cheeks, 

"You should go back up to your dorm, find your best friend, and tell her…or him, all of your feelings." A blush rose on his cheeks as he thought of his conversation with Ginny. "It helps so much, believe me." 

Cho nodded and looked back up at Harry. Her eyes were puffy from the tears, but he was sure that she knew a charm to clean it up, so he wasn't worried about that. She smiled softly, and slightly shook Harry's hand off of her shoulders to wipe her tears away. Not sure what to do, he backed away, but Cho had embraced him around the neck so quickly that he didn't go far. She hugged him tightly, and all Harry could think of doing was to hug her back. 

"Thanks." She whispered in his ear. As she pulled away, she placed a soft kiss on his cheeks, and Harry was sure that he didn't feel a blush growing. Cho smiled and clasped her hands together. "Good night Harry, and, save me a dance, will you?" 

He smiled brightly and nodded his head to her as she began to walk away, 

"Of course!" He called to her retreating back. Cho sent a wave over her shoulder, and disappeared towards the Ravenclaw dormitories. 

Feeling quite proud of him self, Harry trotted towards Ron and Neville, who were engrossed in a conversation about the Cannons. 

"I heard they were trying to get Gaudio, you know, that Italian Keeper? He'd be a God-sent if they do." Ron exclaimed, tossing Hermione's prefect badge back and forth between his two hands. As Harry approached them, he wondered how long it would be until she noticed it was gone. 

"_Gaudio?_ Do you think he'd _actually_ play for the _Cannons_? He's led Rome to _nine_ division championships!" Neville said, throwing his hands up and eyes wide. 

Harry was very impressed by his roommate's new attitude. Neville had noticeably become bolder since the beginning of the year, and the raven-haired boy now realized that the responsibility of taking care of his grandmother was probably a big factor. He was more adamant about everything he was involved in, especially his new obsession with Quidditch (Ron had lent him his copy of Flying With The Cannons and he was now just as obsessed as the red head). 

Potion lessons were becoming much more bearable because of his avid focus, and Professor Snape had not taken any points away from him this entire year. The sneer on the Potions Master's face every time Neville went through a lesson without blowing something up was absolutely priceless to all the Gryffindors. 

"I think Neville's got a point there." Harry added, when he reached them. Ron glared at his friend, clenching the Prefect badge tightly in his fist. 

"There's always a chance." The red head mumbled, and Harry and Neville shared a smile as Ron trudged off towards the Hospital Wing. 

They spoke very little as they walked to the Hospital Wing. Ron had taken Harry's comment as an insult, and when they reached the doors, he had stormed in without waiting for the others to join him. 

Madam Pomfrey was standing in front of one a bed that was hidden behind a curtain. All the boys could see were the very thin and wrinkly legs of what had to be Headmaster Dumbledore, swinging slowly. The nurse had his hand in hers, and she was muttering some charms as she pointed her wand at his index finger. Her face held a very irritated expression, and she darted her eyes towards from his hand to Dumbledore's eyes every so often.

"My _word _Albus! You are the greatest wizard of our time, and you can't pull a simple splinter from your finger? Good _gra_cious…" 

"Poppy, dear, it just hurts _so _much." The hint of sarcasm in his voice made Madame Pomfrey smirk slightly, and she rolled her eyes and smiled. Letting his hand drop, she placed her hands on her hips to stare at the Headmaster with a fake glare. 

"There you go, Headmaster, off to bed with you!" She turned to lead him out the door, and gasped as she saw the three boys staring at her with confusion. "What _are _you doing here?" She asked in a shrilly voice. Dumbledore leaned forward to look past the curtains with a smile on his face that showed he wasn't surprised to see the boys. 

"Er." Ron started, his anger dissipating. They shivered from the cold breeze that swept through the Hospital Wing. "Harry here was having some problems breathing. Neville helped him out though, we just brought him down for…er…safety measures?" 

Madame Pomfrey's glare of contempt turned into one of concern, and she rushed towards the boys, grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him to the nearest bed. He grumbled a bit as she conjured up a hospital robe for him and shut the curtain, giving him some privacy. When he was done (all he had to do was slip them over his head), he pulled the curtain and peeked outside. 

"What seems to be the matter?" Dumbledore asked quietly, approaching Harry's bed. He was in his sleeping robes, long and white with dark blue pinstripes. His slippers were dark blue as well, and little golden Snitches fluttered around with each step he took. 

Harry tried to explain, but Madame Pomfrey brushed through the curtains and pushed him back onto the bed.

"If Mr. Potter has asthma, I will have to be taking some tests, and then I'll have to check the entire Gryffindor dorms for something that he could be allergic to--"  
  


"No!" Harry exclaimed before she continue. She sent him a glare and crossed her arms, indicating that he should give her a reason for his shout. "It's not asthma…" He said in a much softer voice, cowering slightly under her gaze. Madame Pomfrey rolled her eyes at him, and then turned quickly on Neville, 

"Mr. Longbottom, what exactly did you do to Mr. Potter?" She asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. Neville's head snapped up and his eyes widened at Madame Pomfrey; he had always been a bit scared of the neurotic nurse. 

"Er…I performed a spell…_Alito Giusto,_ Madame." He said quietly. Madame Pomfrey's eyes took upon a look of surprise,

"_Well_, Mr. Longbottom, I am _very_ impressed, ten points to Gryffindor." Neville's face burned red and he tried to suppress his bright smile, 

"Th-thank you, Madame. Er…the thing is, with Harry, instead of just turning his torso blue, it engulfed his entire body…is that…bad?" Neville asked timidly.

Harry noticed that Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened slightly, but she did nothing more; it was almost as if she was hiding her true reaction. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at him, and the wise wizard winked at Harry, relaxing the emerald-eyed boy a little. 

"No Mr. Longbottom, it is not bad." She said quietly. Ron sent a very puzzled look towards Harry; the two had never heard the nurse's voice so soft, and quite frankly, it sent chills down their spines. Neville, on the other hand, seemed quite relieved at her comment.

"Oh well, that's good! You're okay Harry!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together. Harry forced a smile for Neville, and nodded slightly as he slipped under the covers of the bed. 

"You two should get back up to the dormitory," Dumbledore said, speaking to them in a similarly quite voice. "If you run into any trouble, just come to me tomorrow and I'll take care of it." 

Ron and Neville nodded and turned to leave, but not before they each sent a weak wave towards Harry. He waved back and watched the door swing shut after they had gone. Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore approached Harry slowly, and he noticed the cautious look in their eyes.

"It _is_ bad, isn't it?" He asked, looking down at his hands. Madame Pomfrey sighed in an annoyed fashion,

"Dear boy! Why would I lie to you? It's not dangerous…it's just…odd." She explained, causing Harry to look up at her with questioning eyes. The nurse was smiling brightly, in almost a giddy manner. This cause Harry to become extremely worried, and he blushed under her gaze. 

"Why, why is it odd? Does it happen often?" He asked quickly, darting his eyes between the two elders. Dumbledore shook his head slightly, but the small smile on his face still remained,

"No, Harry. Like Madame Pomfrey said, it is odd, because we've only seen one other student react that way to that particular _charm_, not a spell, like Neville had thought." His eyes sparkled behind his half moon glasses. "It hasn't been performed here in so many years, it's ironic that it happened tonight…" 

"Yes, Lily _was _amazing at Charms, wasn't she Albus?" Madame Pomfrey said; batting her finger tips at her eyes. Harry shot his head towards the nurse in remarkable speed, astounded that she had said his mother's name. 

"Wait," Harry said, struggling to find his voice, "My _mother _last performed it?" He gripped his blanket tightly between his clasped hands. Madame Pomfrey nodded, turning away to hide the tears that had formed in her eyes. Dumbledore, on the other hand, sat on the end of the bed nodding. 

"Yes, on your father, I remember it quite well, don't you, Poppy?" Dumbledore turned to the now very tearful nurse. She nodded, wiping her tears away and smiling at Harry. 

"Oh yes, it was so adorable, there was no way I could forget." 

Harry's anxiousness immediately drifted away at her words, and he dropped his blanket and his mouth slacked.

"_Adorable_?" He asked simply. His wide eyes caused Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey to chuckle slightly, and she smoothed out some of his sheets, 

"It was exactly that, Albus, why don't _you _tell him, I have some other patients that need to be taken care of." And she left the area with a swish of the curtains. Harry turned to Dumbledore with an amazed look in his eyes. He anxiously awaited the Headmaster to tell him this story about his parents, and Dumbledore seemed very eager to tell it, 

"Well, Harry, it was Halloween night of their…fifth year, I believe." Harry's raised a single eyebrow; another ironic twist, it was his fifth year as well. "And your father was having a bit of…_fun _with his friends." Dumbledore laughed softly at the memory Harry was fervent to hear. "As I recall, from what Mr. Lupin had told me after the incident, Mr. Black had dared your father to ask your mother on a date." 

Harry tried to contain his laughter, so he put his fist to his mouth and bit one of his fingers. The images of his parents and friends as teenagers was more than amusing, but even more so was the fact that Harry could actually picture Sirius doing something like that. Dumbledore chuckled as well, and cleared his throat with a cough. 

"And, as Mr. Lupin said, James got all the way up to Lily, standing right behind her and everything, his hand stretched out to tap her on the shoulder…but…James seemed to go into shock, like he was completely frozen with fright."  
  


The emerald eye boy squinted his eyes at the Headmaster, very curious at where this story was going. If Harry was right, his father had felt the exact same way he had tonight…when he was thinking about his relationship with Ginny…_that's_ when he stopped breathing correctly…

"He began to gasp, and he grabbed his chest. The noises he was making made Lily turn around, and James' friends ran over to see what was wrong. They were clearly panicked, but Lily shooed them away and pointed her wand directly at James' heart. With an expertise only Lily Evans had, she performed the charm, and just like you, your father was enveloped in the blue light. From what I know, which isn't much, (Harry had to contain a laugh of disbelief at this) that was the day your parents started dating. He asked her right in front of everyone as Madame Pomfrey handed him the Sleeping Potion, which, he didn't take, I might add." 

Harry knew he had a very silly grin on his face, but at that moment, he didn't care. The story was exactly what Madame Pomfrey had said, adorable. Though, his father choking couldn't have been that cute, but its repercussions were nice nonetheless. He could just picture the relief on his father's face, and how he blushed at his mother…

"That's so great." Harry whispered, letting his gaze drop from Dumbledore to his bed. Dumbledore nodded, standing up,

"It is. Now, get some sleep Harry, your father was perfectly fine after a night in the Hospital Wing. It's seemed to be just a bit of a stress attack, that's why Madame Pomfrey didn't panic like she normally does."  
  


"I noticed that." Harry said with a bit of relief. "So, it was just us Potters stressing over our girl—lives?" He blushed furious as he almost slipped the information that he was worrying about Ginny. 

Dumbledore eyed Harry with a bit of suspicion, but a small smile crept onto the old wizard's face. The raven-haired boy felt like his face was going to burn off because of the immense heat the blood in his cheeks was producing, but, he was able to wave a good bye to Dumbledore without exploding. 

The lights in the already dim Hospital Wing faded to almost nothing, and Madame Pomfrey popped in to offer Harry a Sleeping Potion, which he politely denied.

Sleeping Potions kept a person from having dreams, to keep them calm as they absorbed their needed rest. Harry, a boy who often dreamt of the terrors of his pass, wanted to see and remember his dreams tonight, because he would be dreaming about a lot of wonderful things. Also, his father hadn't taken one, so Harry thought he didn't need it either.

He thought about his parents being young and in love, smiling and giggling at each other with rosy cheeks. The image of a young Sirius and Remus popped into his head, and Harry had to chuckle at the thought of them being so involved in his parents' love life. Before he finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep, Ginny's face appeared, smiling as lovingly at him as she had in real life, just an hour or two before he laid his head down for its final rest of the day.

**^_^ I'm finally happy with it, lol. There are more chapters, for those of you wondering about Ginny's letter (I have it all planned out). So…I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review and tell me what you think! I love plot bunnies too, hehe :) **


	3. Smile

**Hi! I'm back with the next installment of "I Saw You Cry"! Yay! Took me long enough ^_^; heh. Been busy? ****ß****-lying, just never got to it. Well, I hope you enjoy, though it's shorter than the last chapter (that was a doosy, no?)**

**G**inny Weasley has been staring into her mirror for precisely twenty minutes trying to decide what to do with her hair on the first day of November. Her roommates stared at her oddly because she was normally _not _very girly. The redhead usually tied up her locks in a low ponytail that rested on her neck, not caring if strands of it stood up at every angle.

But today, today was different. Today was the first day Ginny would go down to the Common Room as Harry Potter's girlfriend. Just the thought made sent a rush of warmth throughout her body, and she giggled softly, letting her hair drop to her shoulders. 

Ginny knew that Harry did not kiss her because of the way she looked or how her hair was done, but it didn't stop her from trying to impress him. From experience, Ginny was very aware of what a fifteen-year old boy thinks about (by living in a house with six brothers, how couldn't she?), and she didn't mind putting a little more attention to her appearance for Harry. He made her so happy that it was a pleasure to give him some eye candy, especially for his gorgeous emerald eyes. 

And when Harry looked at her with those eyes…Ginny felt like laughing until her lungs exploded, until she hiccupped for eternity, until she was perfectly purple in the face. The chills that raced through her veins with just one wink, with just a _glance_ from him, made her arms go numb and her fingers twitch in anticipation. 

After Pigwidgeon was out of sight last night, Ginny had fallen right to sleep, though she couldn't help the images of Harry she was picturing, and she refused to stop the smile that was sliding onto her face. To any onlooker, she must have looked quite odd with that silly grin. She wondered if her roommates had heard any of the giggles in her dreams. 

With a look of determination in her chocolate brown eyes, Ginny contemplated her appearance in the mirror. 

She had let it dry naturally after she stepped out of the shower, letting it curl, but not as tightly as Hermione's bushy tresses. Her skin was as pale as usual, and she wiggled her nose in a futile attempt of sending her freckles flying across the room. 

There was no makeup on her face; her mother had strictly prohibited the use of such products as eyeliner and lipstick until Ginny reached the ripe age of sixteen. The redhead found this rule quite annoying and unfair; being the only girl with six brothers _should_ offer her the benefits of certain necessities. 

"Ginny, you look _fine_, just like you do _eve_ryday!" One of her roommates shouted as they headed out the door. She couldn't help but smile at her reflection as she raised her hand in appreciation of the compliment. 

"You _do_ look great, darling." The mirror said affectionately. "You _must _tell me what happened last night to give you such a _ra_diant glow!" 

Ginny watched her face flush in the mirror, and she shook her head slightly, causing her hair to drift back into her face,

"Sorry, but I don't think I could give it justice if I tried to tell you." She said quietly, warming at her own words. The mirror giggled and shooed her off ("You're the best looking girl n this dorm anyway!").

Pulling her cloak over her shirt and jeans, Ginny made her way down to the Common Room. It wasn't bustling, seeing that it _was _Saturday morning, but there were a few Gryffindors mingling around. Mainly first and second years, they were still a little anxious about not being up and moving. 

It was rare that any students above fifth year would be up before noon on Saturdays, and even then, some seventh years didn't emerge from the dormitory until about three. If they did, they headed straight to the Great Hall for breakfast. 

An exception to that was the infamous trio, who usually took the almost empty Common Room as an opportunity to discuss, well, whatever it was that they discussed. 

As she took a seat in the chair she had sat in last night with Crookshanks, she stared off towards the table where the three fifth years would huddle together. Would Harry let _her _join their secret conversations? No one had ever been able to penetrate the shield the three seemed to have around them when they were deep in thought. Now that she and Harry were…_together_…would Hermione and Ron mind that someone else knew their private business? 

She smirked; this was going to be more difficult that she thought. First, the fact of actually getting _involved _with such intimate business (because she knows how close the trio is) was going to be rough. Maybe she should just stay away, they could have Harry's attention whenever they wanted, as long as she had some time with him too. 

No, that wouldn't work for long. Ginny knew how it would get. One would get jealous of the other, because they believed that Harry wasn't spending as much time as he should with them. _Yuck_. She thought. _Would I _really_ become that selfish? I can't just barge into a friendship that's been going strong for four years now! _But…was it fair that Harry should _always _discuss things with them? Last night showed that he could talk to her. Ginny was very aware of couples who shared their problems with each other, not just their friends. 

But then again, this is _Harry Potter, _the Boy Who _Freakin'_ Lived. His insecurities and tribulations surpassed the problems of the twittering idiots her roommates dated. Who _cares _if their mustache was too thick? Ginny prayed that Harry would live long enough to actually growone of his own. 

_Out of all the boys to be my first boyfriend. _She thought grumpily. _I get the one who literally has the fate of the world resting on his shoulders. _Though, Ginny knew, she wouldn't have wanted her first boyfriend to be anyone _other _than the emerald eye boy. She closed her eyes as the warmth of his eyes traveled through her body, and crossed her arms across her chest, hugging herself. Ginny thought she probably looked quite strange to the surrounding Gryffindors.

"And you didn't bother to tell me?" A shrilly voice exclaimed, its vibrations echoing down the staircase of the dorms. Ginny immediately recognized it as Hermione's and she wondered what exactly her idiot brother didn't tell her.

"It wasn't a big deal! It happened around eleven, you would've been asleep already." She heard Ron explain, though she could tell by his voice that he was trying to keep his temper down.

"Well, I would've liked to have known…" She muttered. Their voices were louder now, and Ginny bet they were right at the entrance of the Common Room.

"Her_mi_one, Harry's _fine_, Madame Pomfrey said so." 

At that, Ginny made her presence known. She stood up and spun towards the couple, whose eyes had suddenly grown very wide. Ron seemed to be holding his breath, and he slowly maneuvered himself behind Hermione. 

"Gin. Hey. You're up early." He croaked. Luckily, the other Gryffindors hadn't noticed the tension between the siblings, and it was easy for Ginny to stalk towards her brother without any whispers.

Hermione moved out of Ron's reach, and crossed her arms tightly across her chest. She looked very smug, as if this was the punishment Ron deserved for not telling either of the girls. 

"_What _happened to Harry?" Ginny demanded, her fists clenched at her sides. Ron looked around the room and over his sister's head, as if looking for an ulterior escape route. 

"Nothing at all, Gin. He's fine." He said in a squeaky sort of voice. His eyes had not decreased in size, and he watched her with the utmost precaution. 

"_What _happened to Harry?" She repeated, feeling her face grow red. "You told Hermione, you _better _tell me." 

Ron rolled his eyes and huffed slightly, though he didn't dare step away from his angry sister. 

"He's in the Hospital Wing, he had some problems breathing last night, but he's _fine _now, Madame Pomfrey said so." 

All color faded from Ginny's face, and she released a sigh of anxiety. She felt tears rush to her eyes, and without second thought, she turned on a heel and raced towards the Portrait Hole,

"Gin!" She heard Ron call after her, in almost an annoyed but cautious fashion. The youngest Weasley did not stop though, and she forgot to apologize to the Fat Lady for swinging her open so quickly ("Kids these days!"). She ran at full speed down the staircase of Gryffindor Tower, and she skid to a halt as she heard the voices of Professor McGonnagal and Professor Snape heading her way. 

She began to walk at a remarkably fast speed, her knees never bending in an attempt to make the teachers believe she was just out for an early morning walk. Ginny smiled brightly at the teachers; McGonnagal smiled and nodded in return and Snape sent her a glare that the redhead would have flinched at if her mind wasn't on certain green eyed boy. 

As the Hospital Wing doors approached, a Ravenclaw boy exited the bathroom, and began to walk in her direction. Ginny's stomach churned with dread, but she smiled at him, to be polite, though that was something she _didn't _want to be to him. 

The Ravenclaw, Aaron McGinnity, often flirted with her openly during class. He had even gone as far as dropping his quill on purpose and then asking Ginny to pick it up for him. The room had gone deadly quiet as they waited for her reaction. The redhead knew what he was up to, and simply shrugged. She picked up the damn quill, with a simple _Wingardium Leviosa, _of course. The class erupted into laughter, especially the Ravenclaws, who were laughing at Aaron with enormous guffaws. 

Since then, he had been nothing but rude, barging into her in the halls, and sending balls of parchment zooming at her in the Great Hall. It was _quite _annoying, but seeing him now in an empty corridor sent cold chills through Ginny's spine. 

Aaron stopped dead in his tracks, right in Ginny's way, smiling rather evilly. To any bystander, it would have been a funny scene, a Ravenclaw terrifying a Gryffindor. What would the Slytherins say to _that_?

"Oh, _hullo _Ginny, what are _you _doing up this early? I thought you would try to get in as much beauty sleep as possible!" He said, with a smirk of triumph. Ginny felt her ears burn, but she simply crossed her arms across her chest, tapping her foot. The glare he was sending her made her feel very uneasy, and she wished now that she had waited for Ron and Hermione. 

"Wouldn't want to over do it, you know." She said, her nose high in the air, something that reminded her of Hermione. "Might attract the wrong kind of people." With a _huge _roll of her eyes, Ginny proceeded to brush by him, and to her dismay, Aaron grabbed her upper arm. 

She couldn't help but feel nervous. He was taller than her, definitely stronger, and he appeared to be _very_ angry. His brown eyes flared with hatred, and Ginny just stared at him oddly, not bothering to escape his grasp. Surely he wouldn't try anything out in the open, right?

"You're a huge thorn in my side, _Virginia_." Ginny took a short breath at his words; _no one _ever called her that, except…

"_Get off of me_." She hissed, now tugging her arm away, her eyes wide with fear. Aaron smiled wickedly, and he swung her in front of him, approaching her with large steps and making Ginny back into a cove of a closed classroom. 

"Do you know how much embarrassment you've caused me?" He shook her, causing Ginny to wince as his grip tightened. "Can't go a bloody day without one of my housemates mentioning it, and all because you couldn't jump off your high horse and date me." 

Ginny had to use every ounce of patience in her body to keep herself from killing this git. She was terrified beyond belief, but she wasn't going to let him get away with anything stupid. 

"I wouldn't get off a _jackass _to date you." She spat, slamming her heel on his foot. Aaron howled in pain, and as Ginny spun to get away, he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her back towards him.

"_Oh _no you don't, _you're_ going to get what you _deserve_." One of his arms was now wrapped tightly around her waist, and he lifted her up slightly off the ground, though her legs were flailing. His other hand clamped itself on her mouth, and she tried to bite his long fingers, but it was a futile attempt. She screamed a scream into his hand as he headed towards what looked like an empty classroom, and was shocked to hear, "_FURNUNCULUS_!" ringing from two voices in the hallway. 

Ginny was dropped rather quickly on her bottom. Turning around quickly, she gasped at the site that lied before her. Every visible piece of skin on Aaron was completely covered with boils, bubbling and oozing in all their hideous glory (and probably everything that wasn't, but Ginny couldn't see that, of course). He stood, staring with eyes as wide as Quaffles at his hands, shaking terribly. 

The Ravenclaw looked as if he wanted to scream, but Ginny figured that it would hurt too much. It was then that she looked past him to see who had shot the curse. A wide grin slid on her face as she saw the doubled over figures of Fred and George Weasley. 

They wore sweatpants and their Weasley jumpers, their brooms lying carelessly on the ground. She vaguely remembered that they had taken to practicing early on Saturday mornings.

"Gin!" choked Fred, putting a hand to his heart and stumbling over to her. He fell on the ground next to her, still laughing, but putting an arm around her shoulders. "Are you alright?" 

Ginny nodded, still a bit shaken from the experience, the fall, and the grossness of Aaron's current situation. She heard a groan of agony escape the Ravenclaw's throat, and he began to pass them, towards the Hospital Wing. George regained his composure and raced in front of Aaron, stopping the literally 'boiling' boy.

"_Oh _no you don't, _you're_ going to get what you _deserve_." The proud twin said with a smug smile. Ginny gasped slightly, they must've heard the conversation she and the Ravenclaw had. 

Aaron seemed to be bewildered past shock and he simply grunted a response. George shook his head knowingly, 

"_You're_ in Ravenclaw, go find one of your smart housemates and get them to perform the counter-curse." He poked Aaron in the chest a few times, "Oh, and if you tell who did this, expect some _major_ repercussions." 

"I wouldn't sit on a toilet anytime soon." Fred added, shaking his wand in a way that reminded Ginny of their mother. Aaron's face contorted from horrified to absolutely and utterly horrified. With a sad 'huff' he stalked off in what must have been the direction of the Ravenclaw Common Room.

Fred helped Ginny stand, brushing off some dust off of his own clothes. She felt tears swell up in her eyes, and she threw her arms around her brother, hugging him tightly. Fred seemed a bit confused, but he hugged her back. George, seeing an opportunity to be funny, joined in on the hug, wrapping his arms around both Fred and Ginny and lifting them up. 

"Aw, I feel all warm and gooey." George said, putting down his siblings and wiping away a fake tear. Ginny wiped away some loose tears and coughed a laugh,

"Not as gooey as Aaron." The twins grinned at their sister's joke, and with a flick of their wands, they sent their brooms flying towards them. 

"So that's the moron that's been bothering you?" Fred asked as he checked for anything wrong with his broom. Ginny nodded, rubbing the arm Aaron had grabbed.

"Yeah, I usually just ignore him, he was rather determined today." She explained, noticing the flare in the twin's eyes. George turned and glared in the direction in which Aaron disappeared, and grunted something that sounded like 'he'd be a good test dummy...'

"Well, it's a good thing we came down here, who knows what…" Fred stopped as he realized what actually might'vehappened. He turned to Ginny, staring at her with curious eyes. "You _sure _you're okay? We'll take you down to the Hospital Wing if you like…" 

The Hospital Wing was only twenty meters away, but Ginny nodded anyway. It was nice to have such caring brothers, even though most of the time they were insufferable gits. 

"I'd like that, but…I'm going to visit Harry alone, if that's okay." She felt a blush rise on her cheeks as Fred and George raised their eyebrows in interest, but with a glare from Ginny, they kept their mouths shut (which she found quite amazing). 

The three walked to the Hospital Wing, George and Fred deep in conversation,

"So when you said 'not to sit on any toilets anytime soon,' what did you mean?" 

"Absolutely no idea, I thought it would scare him though."

"Good show, brother!"

"It's all in the wrist." 

Ginny giggled at this, as they stopped in front of the doors to the Hospital Wing. Fred sent her a look asking what was so funny, so she rolled her eyes and explained,

"The wrist thing…when you shook your wand at Aaron, you reminded me of Mum." 

Both of the twins grabbed at their hearts and gasped as if they had been insulted in the most ridiculous of ways. But then, an identical smile cracked on their identical faces, and they chuckled,

"Well, after all the scolding, you pick up a few things." Fred said with a grin.

"Yes, her patented head nod is a _definite_ must," George turned to his twin with an expectant look. "Did you do the head nod?" 

Fred looked towards the ceiling, thinking intensely about the question. George stared on with his mouth hanging open. 

"Er." Fred said simply, his ears growing red. "Nope, sorry dear Georgie, I didn't." 

George smacked his forehead and then his twin's. 

"After all that effort our dear mother has put into trying to get us to behave! All the screaming and the stomping and the threats!" He shook his head in dismay, "I'm rather disappointed in you, Freddy." 

"I'm rather disappointed in myself too." Fred answered solemnly. Ginny stared at the twins as if they had three heads. They were just so _weird _sometimes. 

"Well…" the youngest Weasley said, pushing the door of the Hospital Wing open. "Thanks guys, I owe you one." 

George waved a dismissive hand at her,

"Oh, _pish posh_!" He exclaimed in a very high-pitched voice. "You're our ickle sister, it's our _duty _to make sure that the scum of the Earth don't treat you like one of their own."

"You should be hailed as a princess!" Fred added, throwing his arms up and letting his broom fly (he realized what he had done and dived after it before it hit the ground). "Oomph. A princess that should not be afraid to ask her overbearing brothers for _help_." He groaned, rubbing his chin because it had bounced off the hard floor. 

Ginny nodded slightly, hoping that the twins would leave already because she was getting antsy at the thought of Harry being right on the other side of the door. George helped Fred up, and with sweeping bows, they bid their little sister farewell, bouncing down the hallway in no sort of pattern. She heard their voices, and they sounded like they were singing…she shuddered, hoping that their little song wasn't about her. 

With a deep breath, the redhead pushed the doors of the Hospital Wing open, and peered in to see if Madame Pomfrey was ready to shoo her off. Fortunately, she spotted the nurse at the far end of the Wing sleeping soundly in a chair. It was an odd sight; Ginny had never seen the nurse so calm and relaxed. 

She noticed that there were about four closed off areas, and the redhead bit her lip. What if she didn't find Harry on the first try? That would be embarrassing! If the person behind the curtains wasn't someone friendly, or in a situation that they didn't want other people to see…Ginny grimaced at the thought of it. 

The redhead had a feeling though. There was a tugging inside of her (maybe at her heart?) that made her approached the closest closed off bed on the right. The white curtains weren't as close together as she had thought, so it was easy for her to peek in and see who was lying on the bed behind them. Ginny held back a sigh of relief as she watched Harry sleep quietly.

Should she wake him? She thought for a second, but then decided against it. Ron said he had had troubles breathing…maybe he needed all the sleep he could get. So, she entered the closed off area and took a seat in a chair by Harry's bedside, hoping he would wake up on his own accord very soon. 

Her mouth twitched with excitement as she watched Harry, his chest rising in a slow rhythm. She wanted to burn this memory into her mind: her Harry, looking as if he had absolutely no worries. It was something rarely seen.

As usual, his hair was tousled about his head in no particular pattern and without his glasses his black locks made him seem much younger than fifteen. She often had to remind herself that he was less than a year older than her; because the aura Harry always had surrounding him was one of a man far past his true age. 

She wondered how he was able to be so incredibly unique and secretive while at the same time he could be just like any other teenage boy who let some of his emotions slip in front of his friends. Ginny knew by memory the exact expression Harry had when Ron told a joke and he was trying to hide his amusement from Hermione. She also knew the snarl he sent Draco Malfoy every day (because she had mimicked the exact scowl numerous times). She _knew _Harry, he would probably faint if he found out all the things she knew about him.

Ginny blushed as useless information about Harry began to flood her mind. She knew that his favorite color was blue, even if her mother _insisted _that he wear green all the time 'to bring out his eyes.' Harry looked very good in blue, actually (Ginny's blush deepened because she realized that she was a little bias; she thought Harry looked good in _any_thing). He had a particular blue sweater that made her fingers jitter in excitement at just the sight of it. 

His collection of Wizard Cards had grown rapidly since his first year (his first card had been Dumbledore); he now owned fifty-two different cards, though she wasn't sure the total counting the extras. Ginny also knew that he had an Invisibility Cloak, because there could be no other possible explanation for the trio's unscathed escapades through the dark halls of Hogwarts. 

The redhead pulled her hair into a low ponytail, keeping her eyes on Harry as she did so. She thought about all the new and interesting things she would find out about him, hoping that he would be more willing to discuss his emotions. Ginny knew that it had been hard for him to divulge into such an intense conversation, the fact that he had been so open had literally taken a lot out of him. She shivered; what if his breathing problems were related to the shock of the night? Harry _was_ sensitive, even if he didn't like to admit it. 

Ginny caught her breath as Harry stirred, and she feared that her presence was the reason behind his awakening. She watched as he arched his back slightly, and he blew a large puff of air through his nose. He yawned, eyes still shut, and wiped at his nose with his right hand, and then at his eyes. The redhead clenched the trim of her cloak in her hands as Harry's green eyes fluttered open.

He stared up at the ceiling, and Ginny could tell that he wasn't exactly sure where he was. His emeralds squinted, and then he let out a huff of exhaustion. She wondered if she should grab his attention, of if she should wait for him to see her; he would, eventually. 

Biting her tongue, the redhead sat completely frozen, watching Harry with wide eyes. His eyes fluttered closed again, and Ginny feared that he was going back to sleep, but then he reached out with his left arm for his glasses on the nightstand. She watched as his fingers danced across the wooden top of the stand, and she rolled her eyes at his bitten nails. His glasses were on the very edge of the table, and he wouldn't be able to reach them without rolling over on his side. As predicted, Harry sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes again.

Ginny felt like she should run out of the curtains and then stroll in nonchalantly a few minutes later. But…it was too late. Harry's eyes fluttered open and he stared at her groggily. She held her breath, very anxious to see and hear his reaction to her presence. 

Harry blinked a few times before Ginny was sure that his eyes had actually focused (however focused they could be without his glasses). His eyebrows furrowed with confusion, but they soon parted and a delighted smile slid on his face. 

"Ginny." He said simply, his shoulders slumping in relaxation. Her face flushed at the sound of her name coming out of his mouth, and she stood up, quickly crossing to the bed. She smiled brightly, her hands grabbing his hands that were on his legs (Harry had twisted himself into a sitting position that had his legs crossed). 

"Oh, Harry." She said softly, squeezing his hands. "Are you alright? How did you sleep? What happened _exactly_? Did it hurt? Who helped you?" All her questions rushed out of her at an amazing speed, and by the perplexed look on Harry's face, she knew that he hadn't actually caught any of them. "I'm just nervous." She explained, blushing. Harry laughed softly, knocking their connected hands together. 

"I'm _fine_, Ginny," he felt that familiar fluttering of her stomach as he said her name. "I'd be even better if I could see you clearly. Right now there are two of you."

A look of realization spread across Ginny's face, and she let go of their hands to rush and find his glasses. Carefully picking them up, she brought them back to him, and slowly placed them on his face. Harry blinked his eyes a few times and stared at her intently as he grew used to his vision again.

"_Much _better." He smiled and the redhead felt her ears burn. Damn that Weasley trait. Harry placed his hands on her shoulders (as he sat on the bed they were the same height), and tilted his head in a questioning manner. "Now, Miss. Weasley, _what, _may I ask, are you doing here?" 

A bit shocked by his question (why _wouldn't _she be here?), Ginny released some very confused noises, stuttering her answer,

"Wha-why _Harry_! How could I _not _come to--to see you?" 

He grinned brightly and Ginny immediately realized that he was joking around with her. She slapped his shoulder softly, laughing at her silliness. Harry rolled his eyes and patted the bed next to him, indicating that he wanted her to sit with him. She did, and blushed slightly at their close vicinity. 

"I'm surprised Ron and Hermione aren't hovering over me already, do they even know you came?" He asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. Ginny smiled at the endearing little motion she was so used to and shrugged her shoulders at his question,

"Yeah, Ron told me you were here, I figured they're letting us have some time to ourselves…" The redhead wanted to smack herself for making herself so obvious. _Argh_. She just wanted to be the one Harry woke up to, she had never been in the Hospital Wing when he first did, that was usually Ron and Hermione's job, and now, in her heart, Ginny knew that it was _hers _as well. 

Harry blushed and bit his tongue. He turned slightly towards her, putting one leg under his body and took a deep breath.

"Gin, we have to talk." 

Ginny wanted to stop breathing. She felt her eyes water and something squeezed her heart so tightly that she was sure it was going to burst and she was going to throw up all sorts of disgusting things on the Hospital Wing's floor. Well, at least this was the right place to get so sick. 

"About what?" She croaked. Harry began to look uncomfortable, and he took both of her hands in his. 

"About us…Gin…I don't think we…" He looked down at their connected hands. 

Ginny bit her lip and sniffled slightly, _no _he couldn't do this! How could he? It's barely been a day! Oh _God_,am I _that_ horrible? She thought. She shouldn't have come down so quickly, he probably thinks now that she's obsessive and scary. 

"Should be public about our relationship."  
  


Ginny's head shot up and she stared at Harry as if he had three heads. His face was extremely red, and his expression looked as if he was ready for her to smack him across the face. Her mouth slacked open to say something, but Harry continued,

"I started thinking about us last night, and, Ginny, honestly, it makes me _so_ happy to know how much you care about me." He smiled goofily at her. "See? This stupid smile slides on my face each time I think about it. 

"It's just that…we're in the midst of a war. No ones safe, especially those close to me…" His voice drifted off and Ginny watched as his eyes fixated on their hands. She knew he must've been thinking about all the people that were gone because of Voldemort, and she knew that he blamed himself for each and every death. 

"There's no way I'm letting them hurt you…your family is already a target, can you imagine the price on your head if they found out you were _Harry Potter's_ girlfriend? I care about you too much to out your life in any more danger. I have no idea what I would do if you…" 

The redhead released a few tears and flung her arms around Harry's neck. His arms immediately circled around her waist and he pulled her close to him, burying his head in her shoulder. Ginny wanted to kiss him forever for being so thoughtful, so considerate, so caring, so…_Harry_. 

"I'm sorry." She heard him mumble. Ginny pulled away slightly, staring curiously into his emerald eyes. A smile slid on her lips as she thought of how she could just gaze into his eyes forever. She noticed that he had flicks of yellow in them, something she hadn't noticed before.

"Sorry? Harry, as long as you continue acting the same way with me like you have these past couple of months, I will be the happiest girl on the planet." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Ginny was going to get in as much kissing as she could before they had to hide their relationship. "I don't want to be something else to put on your shoulders. I'm perfectly content with being the shoulder you cry on." 

Now Harry stared at her as if _she _had three heads. A smile twitched at his lips and he just shook his head slightly, 

"You're so wonderful." He whispered, causing Ginny to blush. "I thought you were going to hate me…I mean, don't girls want a boyfriend who could hold hands with them down the hallway and…you know, kiss and stuff?" His face was _extremely_ red, something Ginny found _extremely _cute. 

"We don't _need_ that, Harry." Ginny said sweetly, then she smiled wickedly. "Just promise to sneak some kisses in here and there and not date anyone else while we're…er…_us_. You could still walk me to class, you do that anyway."

"So…we act _normal_?" He asked carefully, though his blush had deepened.

Ginny nodded, but then put a single finger to her lips as if she had remembered something. She darted her eyes back towards him and grinned widely,

"_Well_…anonymous notes are _always_ romantic, the girls in my dorm will shriek when I receive a love letter from some tall, dark, and handsome knight." 

"I'm not tall." He said with a smile. They giggled slightly, and Ginny scooted closer to him; now their thighs were touching. 

"That's okay." She leaned forward and kissed his ear. "You have _dark _hair." Her lips trailed down to his cheek and she placed a soft kiss there. "And you're _incredibly_ handsome."

"Am not." He said in somewhat of a strained voice. Ginny giggled again and with two fingers she pushed his face towards her. She tried to stare at him with her most seductive eyes, and by the look in Harry's eyes, she was succeeding.

"You _are_." And she kissed him on the lips fiercely. Her hands reached around his head and pulled him closer, and feeling brave, Ginny stuck her tongue out slightly, tapping Harry's lips with it. She felt his arms tighten around her, and his mouth opened a little, sending chills down Ginny's spine. 

The redhead wasn't exactly sure what to do now, but since she_ was _the one to initiate such a kiss, her tongue crept along his lips in a very teasing manner. Quite suddenly, it had made its way into Harry's mouth (_how _did that happen? She thought in a very innocent manner), and introduced itself to Harry's. 

Harry had just gained enough Gryffindor courage to copy her motions when the two heard the doors of the Hospital Wing open and two very familiar bickering voices came in,

"_Honestly_ Ron! Would _you _want Harry and Ginny interrupting some of our _private_ time?" Hermione said in a voice that showed she knew what was occurring behind the curtains. She was obviously trying to warn Harry and Ginny, who wisely separated (Ginny into the chair she was previously situated in and Harry under the covers, propped up against the headboard). 

"_Shh_!" Ron hissed. "Don't talk about them like _that_. My _sister _is back there!" 

"Oh _shut up_ Ron!" Ginny called from behind the curtains. Her voice echoed off the almost silent room's walls. Ron's huff and the tapping of Hermione's shoe were the only sounds heard. 

Harry grinned at her, and Ginny, feeling brave once again, jumped out of the chair and was kissing him in mere seconds. They went a little bit further than they had before in much less time, and before Harry could deepened the kiss anymore, Ginny broke it and was back in her seat the second Ron and Hermione entered the curtains. 

Ron eyed his sister with an interrogating glare, and then he sent the same look towards Harry. Hermione rolled her eyes behind him, smiling at Ginny. 

But Ginny and Harry didn't notice the expressions of their friends. Their eyes were locked on each other's with such intensity that you could almost _see _their line of vision. They knew, that even if they couldn't express their feelings as openly as Ron and Hermione could, that they were still there, and that was good enough for both of them. 

"Ginny?" Ron's voice sounded as if he was far away. "Why were Fred and George singing about a redheaded princess and her bubbling, boiling foe?" 

**::scrunches cheeks:: Oy, I love my story, I've never done that before, lol. I seriously can't wait till I write certain parts, but…I'm trying to be good and not rush it. I think taking my time is making it better, cause usually I just whip stuff out. Okay, to the writing board! XD Review, it makes my motor run, hehe. **

**Until then…**

**~~S.C. Hardy**

**email: pigwidgeonweasley@hotmail.com**


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